Keep Pretending
by Astarii Amaranth
Summary: Mai Valentine. Competitive Duelist, Woman of Wiles. But what about the personal side of Mai? The one that has fallen for Yugi? And if he fell back, what would result?
1. Stupid, stupid Mai, why are you thinking...

This is my first—ever!—Yu-Gi-Oh! 'fic! claps I'm a big fan, but haven't written anything at all yet. Well, after watching Yu-Gi-Oh! tonight I decided I should do this one. I've been thinking this up for a while, what if Mai liked Yugi and all, and I thought this would be a good way to present it first. It's short, bittersweet, and the first of several one-shots that will portray Mai's feelings on the matter. Hope you like the series!

I, unfortunately, don't have anything to do with Yu-Gi-Oh!, so please don't sue the teenager, kay? Kay.

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Why does he get to me like this? She asked to herself as she walked down the eerily quiet street. Perhaps it wasn't that quiet and still, perhaps it was only her frustrating and jagged thoughts that caused everything around her to cease as far as she was concerned.

He always got to her like this. Yugi, that is. One innocent look from the bright-eyed boy could send her heart fleeting like a bird with untiring wings. A gaze from the darker, stronger side of him could send a jolt to her stomach as if a bolt of lightning had crackled just behind her.

Was this what love did to a person? No, she didn't think so. She hoped not. Loving someone made you weak. And she was a duelist; she couldn't be weak. But maybe that is the only reason she couldn't admit to herself—admit to herself what?

No, she was being stupid. _Stupid, stupid, Mai, why are you thinking so much?_ She shook her head, the breeze ruffling through her hair, flapping her clothes. She grasped her purse and pulled it further up her shoulder.

He was with Téa tonight, why were they always together? "Yugi and I are just friends." Téa always said. Bah! How could she be friend's with him? Didn't her legs falter under her when he smiled? Didn't her lower lip annoyingly fall—just a bit—when he talked to her? Didn't she—

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Stupid, stupid, Mai, why are you thinking so much? 

Yugi would never take a second look at her unless she had something stuck between her teeth. Yugi never thought twice about a girl—any girl. Or did he? Maybe Yugi's just like her! Maybe the thought of liking a girl could—no, Yugi wasn't like her that way. Maybe it's that he doesn't want to admit he sometimes thinks a girl's pretty. Maybe he's at a loss for what to say to a girl, how to act towards a girl he likes.

Or…perhaps he just hasn't reached that phase. Joey and Tristan sure had. Even Bakura—even Seto Kaiba had! But no, she couldn't imagine Yugi looking twice at a pretty girl.

__

Stupid, stupid, Mai, why are you thinking so much?

She hated it. Hated it! Why was she so weak when it came to Yugi? Why did he send her to levels of contemplation and frustration that had never been reached by her before? She couldn't be in love with Yugi, no, no, no!

She stopped in her tracks and looked at the ground, squeezing her eyes shut, tears threatening to spill. She squeezed them even tighter and then opened them, looking up at the sky. She hadn't been able to hold them back.

Now they sparkled as they spilled down her cheeks, pouring over her chin and splashing on the sidewalk.

No, Yugi would never look at her. And so she must keep pretending he's only competition. She must keep pretending he is only a bug to be squashed.

She squeezed her eyes shut again and then opened them, more salty tears running the path their predecessors did, falling to their death on the pavement as the moon shined effulgent rays over their graves.

**__**

Stupid, stupid, Mai, why are you thinking so much?


	2. A Day's Plan Thwarted

Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! I'm glad I'm not the only person who thinks Mai could like Yugi. :) This one doesn't deal as much with her thoughts as the last one, but I hope you still like it, and continue reading. Thanks again!

~*Astarii

I don't have ANYTHING to do with Yu-Gi-Oh! Neither by rights or copyrights.

Mai sat at the table, munching on french fries as everyone discussed a certain Duel Monsters card. Her plan for Yugi and herself to spend a day together had been thwarted, and instead the whole crew was sitting at a fast food restaurant, discussing what else…Duel Monsters.

She pretended to pay attention, but her thoughts over took her sense and soon she was on a roller coaster of questions…all concerning Yugi Motou. She must have not done a good job of concealing her disinterest with interest, for Yugi leaned forward and touched her arm. Immediately she was pulled back into reality, her eyes looking into the very ones that caused her jolts of butterflies.

"Mai?" She blinked. "Mai, are you ok?" Yugi was always so caring, so tenderhearted. And innocent and naïve. As much as she hated to admit it, Yugi never would have survived without tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum over there, Joey and Tristan.

Again she was lost in his violet eyes, the ones that now held concern. The ones that were causing blanks in her mind.

"Yo', Mai, your mind wheelin'? Decided to start duelin' wit your 'ead instead of your womanly wiles for once?" She blinked a couple times and turned to the source of the comment, tweedle-dee himself, Joey.

"No, Joey, I was hoping that if I concentrated hard enough, that accent of yours would go away." Why did she always have to come across so rude? Why did she always think she had to cover up for something?

Tristan flicked Joey in the back of the head, and Téa laughed good-naturedly. Bakura was smirking to himself, and Yugi…Yugi had that cute little grin on his face. He turned to Mai, an adorable smirk now present, and tilted his head to the side.

"Yeah, I'm ok." She said quietly, and his grin returned. How is it that that guy, no matter what is going on, can notice the little things? How is it that he can make you feel like you're the only person in a room? How is it that he can make you feel that only your problems matter right now?

She hated him for it. Just hated him for it. Those were some of the reasons she began noticing Yugi, and some of the reasons she had begun to fall for him too.

She stood up and grabbed her tray, dumping its contents into the bin.

"Mai, where're you going?" She turned to see Bakura looking at her questioningly, and she put a hand on her hip, spreading the classic grin across her face.

"I've got places to go, things to do, Ryo." She said. "But don't worry, I'm a big girl, I'll be ok. Hey, I tie my own shoes and everything." She smiled and left out the door, leaving the only people she could remotely call friends.

She had begun walking down the street before someone called out to her. She stopped and swiveled around to see Yugi running after her.

"Yugi?" She asked, and he finally caught up, panting a bit. "What is it?" She asked again, and his big eyes looked up at her. Leaning in he spoke quietly.

"Mai, you didn't let what Joey said get to you, did you? He was just joking, you're a great duelist." She grinned, and leaned down, hands on her knees.

"Thanks, Yugi. No, I didn't let it get to me, I just have to get some things done." She straightened up. "See you later!" She gave him a salute and turned on her heel, walking away from him.

Why was he so caring? Why did her give a darn? Why couldn't he be like every other guy in this world? Stuck on themselves, arrogant, and uncaring? Yugi was the opposite, and if she wanted to keep her sanity, he had to stop it quick.

**__**

Stupid, stupid, Mai, why are you thinking so much?


	3. Pizza Pizzazz

I'm back! I'm not dead! lol. Here's another chapter, and it's more of an "event" chapter, a scene, conversations, etc., versus her emotions and thoughts. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, or anything related, and I don't own a restaurant called "Pizza Pizzazz"…if there even is one. Hope you like, and please leave any and all comments you'd like to voice!

Mai lied in bed, thinking of what else? Yugi Motou. Again he plagued her thoughts, and she couldn't think of a night when she didn't lie awake thinking of him.

She was strong, wasn't she? She could take care of herself, couldn't she? The problem was, she wanted him to take care of her. Yugi was so caring, so thoughtful, and she only wished he'd direct these attributes to her…on a better-than-friends level.

She sighed. It was dumb to dream of such a thing; it wouldn't happen. And she'd keep on pretending she thought of him only as competition…and a friend when she was in the mood.

But she was always in the mood to be his friend—she was always in the mood to be more than his friend!

She rolled over in bed, angry with herself. Every night she lie awake thinking of him, and every night she was no closer in saying he thought of her in that way.

And there was something different about him. When he dueled, it was like he was a different person. A more confident, strong figure, yet no more talented; Yugi was King of Games, and rightfully so.

She personally wished she could get a few pointers from him, but was too proud to admit it. Yugi was below her as far as anyone was concerned. She was the best woman duelist the game had ever seen, and she acted accordingly.

But still, that stronger side of Yugi made her shiver, but she wasn't sure if it was a good or bad shiver. His eyes seemed to pierce her soul, leaving her feeling embarrassed and exposed. On the dueling field this side of Yugi was powerful, almost ruthless, she might say, but he wasn't cruel.

She got the feeling that this stronger side would do anything to win—and hadn't she heard he had almost sent Seto Kaiba reeling off the roof of Maximillian Pegasus's castle, sending him to a sure death…to win?

It was unsettling in a way; the Yugi she knew would never do that. But what had made him stop? Oh, yes, Joey had told her. He had called for his attack to be stopped. Fallen to the ground in tears, she had heard.

And that's what made her sure Yugi—now matter how powerful that darker side was—would never be ruthless or cold-hearted.

With a sigh she got out of bed; she couldn't sleep right now. Stealing to her window, she wrapped her arms around herself and gazed out at the full moon. It shone effulgent rays upon the small pool below, a small one made for gardens, and trees and flowers swayed with the breeze of the night.

She was wide-awake, and it bugged her. Slipping into some clothes, she decided for a walk. Yes, it would be good for her. It was past twelve, about thirty minutes after, but she didn't care; she could take care of herself.

Her feet took her where they wished, and suddenly she was shocked to realize she was standing across the street from Yugi's house. He and his grandpa lived above the game shop, and the neon light that usually read _Game_ was pale, the lights turned off.

She stared at the window of his room curiously; a table lamp was on, and she narrowed her eyes, trying to look inside. It was no use. She wondered what he was doing. 

__

Probably something worthwhile. She thought to herself. With a sigh she folded her arms and hugged herself against the breeze, turning around reluctantly and disheartened, making her way back to her own residence.

The day was dark and rainy, bleak to say the least. Mai sat at "the" place to eat—for this week anyway—Pizza Pizzazz, munching on breadsticks and some Hawaiian pizza. A half-empty glass of water sat beside her plate, and she looked at it, thinking of that cliché, "is your glass half-empty or half-full?"

Well, when looking at a drinking glass with melting ice, she usually thought of it as being half-empty, so apparently she wasn't optimistic.

Picking up her glass and taking a drink, she choked when she saw Yugi Motou walk in—and by himself! She fought with the decision to hide behind the menu sitting at the next table, or to wave. She was too slow deciding. He waved himself and trotted over.

"Mai! What are you doing here?" He asked in his usual, smiling, happy way. Suddenly she realized he was the type of "the glass is half-full" person that she questioned the existence of.

"Just hanging out, Yugi. Getting a bite." She said in her usual tone, as if it was a well-known fact. He drew a corner of his lip up contemplatively.

"By yourself?" He asked like a little kid as she offered him a breadstick.

"You're here by yourself." Then she was hit with nerves when she realized maybe he _wasn't_ here alone. _Maybe_ Joey would trot in here at any second. _Maybe_ he was meeting someone. He took a breadstick, biting into it, and she was anxious for him to swallow it and answer her. So much she felt like yelling.

"Well, grandpa's gone right now, and Joey couldn't come, so I thought I might as well." She leaned back in her chair, relieved, basket of breadsticks still in hand.

"Why don't you grab a seat?" She asked. "I don't mind, and then neither of us will be alone." She said it in the patented Mai Valentine tone, but she wondered if it sounded obvious. Not like Yugi would ever realize a girl was flirting with him anyway.

"Sounds great." He said with a grin, sitting down across from her. And then the image of him dueling flashed across her mind. You'd never see a grin like that on his face while he's dueling. She grinned herself at the thought of it.

"Hawaiian pizza!" He said, looking at the slice on her plate. She looked at him, confused. "I've never been able to find someone who likes it too." He explained. "Joey wonders why anyone would waste good pizza that way." He said with a grin. "He likes pepperoni. Téa only likes spinach and mushrooms, and Tristan gets double cheese." She caught herself smiling as he clocked off what kind of pizza everyone liked. He even knew what kind Seto Kaiba liked!

"Yep," He started after she raised her brows. "extra cheese with italian seasoning sprinkled on it." She giggled, and he looked up with her, eyes sparkling, teeth bared in a barely-there grin. "I expected, with Kaiba being so rich, he'd have to have something like caviar on it." Her giggled turned to a pleasant smile as she looked at him.

"You're very intuitive, aren't you, Yugi?" She said, almost knowingly. He furrowed his brows a bit, looking at her curiously. "You notice all the small things." She said. "Like, what kind of pizza everyone gets, or who says what a lot, or who wears this a lot. I'm sure Kaiba didn't tell you what kind of pizza he likes, eh?" He grinned, like he was accepting a compliment, and she could feel herself light up.

An hour later, Mai had only crumbs on her plate, and Yugi's slice of pizza was reduced to a sliver of crust, hard and cold by now. Two empty baskets—formerly filled with breadsticks—sat a bit to the side, and they were working on their forth glass of soda.

"So where's your grandpa?" She asked, taking a sip of soda through the straw she had requested. Yugi put the last bite of the last breadstick in his mouth before answering.

"He went north for a bit to see what he could get in a trade up there. It's a big game trade thing that goes on once a year, so he goes up for the week to see what he can get for the shop." He took a drink to wash the breadstick down.

"You don't like to go?" She asked, waving her hand a bit. He shook his head.

"I do, but right now I can't afford to miss school." He explained. "There's a smaller one in this city after school gets out, and Joey and I always go to it. Wanna come?" Caught of guard, she said yes before she realized.

"Sometimes I forget you're a duelist, there are a bunch of things like that we go to." He continued. "You're always welcome to come with us when we go. Tristan and Téa usually skip, so it'd be nice to have you along."

"I doubt Joey shares your frame of mind." Yugi looked at her, perplexed, and shook is head once or twice.

"Don't let anything Joey says get to you. He's all words." He smiled. "We all know that by now." She leaned back in her chair, resting an arm delicately over the back of it.

"That's one thing Joey and I have in common." She said quietly, to herself, but she knew he heard. "I doubt anyone knows I'm all talk though." She said with a smile, and a cocky tilt of the head.

"_I_ did. I always have." He said reverently. "I'm sure everyone would if you let them." He suggested timidly. She laughed, lightening the mood, and he smiled.

"I'm sure they would. But it wouldn't be me if I let them, would it?" He had to give her that, reluctantly, and she waved the waitress over.

"Check please." She requested, and the waitress, with a white button up shirt and a red mini dashed off. She returned, curiously quickly, and Mai pulled out the cash. Handing it to her she stood and grabbed her coat.

"Better be off, Yugi." She said, slipping into her sea-blue raincoat. "Thanks for keeping me company." She added with a smile. He stood up and nodded to the waitress when she asked if he wanted his check.

"Want me to walk you home?" He asked with a smile.

"It's o—"

"I really don't mind, and it's kind of in my way." He grinned. "Well, no, but I can walk you anyway?" She nodded.

"Sure."

Stepping into the street, Mai pulled her hood over her loosely waved hair. Rain splashed on pavement, pouring buckets at a time, and her boots sploshed with each step.

Yugi was walking beside her, hands in pockets, shoulders slightly hunched, his head bent down a bit to shield his face from the rain. She noticed—curiously—he had slipped that necklace of his under his shirt.

Seldom did they see many cars on the road; few dared—or cared—to be out on such a rainy day. It was dark enough to be early evening, with that sickeningly yellow tint cast over everything in sight.

"It's been raining like this for three days." Mai said with an irritated sigh. "It better stop soon, or I'll go mad." Yugi chuckled to himself, and she looked at him quickly. "Aren't you a little rained out?" She questioned.

"Yes, I guess I am." He admitted with a smile to himself.

"You aren't, are you?" She said, Mai sarcasm coming into play. "You like rainy days?" She asked, baffled. He smiled again, irritating her; she wanted an answer.

"I think rainy days are…they're…they're nice." She stopped and looked at him, hands on hips.

"They're not 'nice'. You were going to say something else." She said, demanding the truthful answer playfully. He grinned, infuriating her more, but it had become a game.

"Yugi!" She and Yugi's attention turned a couple people across the street. They were waving.

Tristan, Téa, and Bakura she realized, her heart sinking. He smiled and waved back happily. Mai chewed a piece of gum in her mouth, squashing it between the roof of her mouth and her tongue, her eyes downcast.

"I'll see you later, I better get home." She said, looking up, putting on a happy face. "Thanks for walking me this far." She sad with a smile that was painful to hold.

"Sure, no problem, Mai." He said in his usual voice; the one that was the same no matter who he was talking to. Sincere, quiet, yet the same tone he used with Joey when they discussed a perplexing strategy for Duel Monsters.

"Bye, King of Games." She said with a teasing grin. He smiled back before crossing the street, joining his 'friends'.

Feeling like crying, feeling like someone had stomped on her heart, she started home alone, the sky darker than when Yugi was with her.

For anyone that cares, or is confuzzled, Hawaiian pizza is cheese with the toppings ham and pineapple. It's my favorite. Hope that helped someone! :)


	4. A Haunted House and a Blissful Handhold

I know it's been a long time, but things have really been off-hand lately. For one, my best friend's mom was sent to the hospital for an Aneurysm in her brain, and she almost died. I would have had this posted probably on Monday if that hadn't have happened. Anyway, thanks so much for waiting—if any of you did :)—and I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's my longest so far, and so far it is also my favorite. Thanks so much to Daniel for his help, I was almost losing hope for any more ideas! This chapter definitely has to be dedicated to him! I'll shut up now and let you read the chapter…

Mai and Yugi walked down the street, hand in hand, while the early summer breeze blew by them. With a shy grin Yugi lead her to the left, the City Park, and walked a little slower. Mai delighted in everything Yugi did. His curious looks at every day things like a bird or a butterfly, his smile, his hand holding hers, his slow gait.

But the wonderful afternoon was coming to an end. Her apartment came into view, and she wished she could claim another one—quite conveniently an hour's walk away. She had to go home though; so reluctantly she led him to her door.

"Hey, Yugi," She started, opening the door and turning to face him, leaning on the frame. "I had a great time today." She smiled sweetly. "Thank you." Yugi flashed his innocent, childlike smile back and put his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, I had a blast too." He admitted. "Mai?" He said quickly, and she raised an eyebrow. "I'm…I'm glad you told me how you felt, you know, about me." She smiled—more to herself than anyone, but it reassured him.

"This whole time, I've been feeling the same way for you, but I just couldn't get the words out…not like I had too many chances to anyway." He continued, gaining confidence.

"We never did have too many chances, did we?" She asked, a hint of the Mai tone returning. She grinned, and he returned it, then, taking his hands out of his pocket, leaned into her, his lips touching hers.

The early summer flowers seemed to throw their petals around them, and the breeze caught her hair and swept it across his cheek—

**__**

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Mai cursed, slinging a hand out of the down comforter and slapping the button on top of the alarm clock. She rolled over on her back with a moan. Wavy strands of blonde hair escaped from under the covers and finally her other hand emerged, joining with the other above her head in a stretch.

Why did she have to wake up at that very same moment every time? She gave a quick whimper of frustrated disappointment before throwing the covers off her. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she groped the wall with her eyes in search of her calendar.

__

May 29th, Game Trading Fair with Yugi

Yes! That was just what she needed to put her in a good mood. After digging in her closet for something to wear, she grabbed her towel on the back of her door and dashed in to the bathroom for a shower.

Mai stared into the mirror, straightening her shirt and doing finishing touches to her hair. She had on a jean mini-skirt with clear belt, a pink t-shirt with glittery blue cat eyes on the front, and white platform flip flops. A kitty cat necklace adorned her neck, and she had a silver anklet with dangling hearts on.

Stealing a glance at the mirror—10:37—she grasped her perfume and sprayed a couple times before grabbing her hemp purse and jean jacket and running out the door.

She dashed up to the park bench in front of the archeological museum—the assigned place to meet—and looked around. She had gotten there at 10:57—just three minutes early—but she had paid the price for it. Her feet ached from the run. She inwardly cursed the bus system for not having a bus anywhere near here at the time she needed as she sat down and leant forward, massaging her feet gingerly.

"Mai!" She jerked her head up to see Yugi running up to her, panting slightly. She made an attempt at composure and sat back up, crossing her legs and folding her arms.

"If it isn't the King of Games." She said with her sauntering tone, like a jungle cat at play. He smiled bashfully, and with a jolt to her stomach, she remembered the expression on his face in her dream while they walked in the park.

"Ready for the trade fair?" He asked and she stood. She nodded, then looked around for a second.

"Where's Joseph?" She asked, still scanning the crowd. Yugi smiled and pointed to a nearby hot dog stand where Joey was arguing with a kid over which of them was before the other in line. She smiled to herself. You just had to love Joey.

They started walking towards him.

"Have anything you're looking for especially today, Mai?" Yugi asked, hands in his pockets. She shrugged. "I never usually do, but today is different. There's a card I want for my grandpa. He couldn't find it at the fair up north he was at last month." He explained. "So I decided to be on the lookout." He declared with conviction. She smiled.

"Hi there, Joseph." She said, her words slinking through the crowd. Joey, hot dog almost touching his mouth, darted his eyes to her.

"Yo', Mai." He said, then bit into his dog. She picked an invisible thread off her shirt and folded her arms, crossing one ankle over the other.

"You ready, Joey?" Yugi's innocent voice broke out to her left. He nodded, throwing the last bite in his mouth and tossing the wrapper in the trash.

"Let's get 'dis day started."

"No." Mai said firmly, keeping her gaze on the card. The trader raised his brows, and she looked at him with a pleasant yet firm smile. "I suppose I'll look down the row a bit—" She started to leave but the trader stopped her. She smirked to herself before turning around to face him.

"Perhaps you'd care for me to lessen it a bit?" She raised a brow thoughtfully, grasping her elbows in a fold. "Perhaps—"

"Perhaps my first offer?" She prodded with a tone only Mai could do. He looked at the card, back at her, and at the card again.

"It is a bit unfair—" He began, but she interrupted him.

"I assure you it is very fair. I doubt anyone would intend to pay more for it." Gaining a business-like tone, she adjusted her purse more securely on her shoulder. "But if you don't wish to sell—"

"I go for nothing less." He stated and she grinned, pulling her purse off her shoulder and digging for her wallet.

A few minutes later, the deal done, she snapped her wallet shut and began putting it into her purse as the man waited to hand her her purchase.

"Mai?" She turned to see Yugi walking towards her, several cards in his hand. "Get anything interesting?" He asked, peering at the card the man handed her.

"Nothing too special, but it's a nice addition." She said vaguely, turning the card out of his view before he could see it out of habit.

"Do you want to see mine?" He asked innocently, spreading them out in his head. With a wave of nausea she realized how rude she was to hide her card, when he so freely showed her his. 

"That's ok." She said quietly, the opposite of the usual Mai, and pushed his hand lightly away. He looked a little hurt and stopped walking for a moment, then gave a quick sprint and caught up, the cards spread again.

"Really, I don't mind." He said with a smile, and she stopped and turned to him, a genuine smile returning as she took them from his hand. After giving her approval she pulled her card up and let him take a look.

"That's a good card, Mai." He said, handing it back. She rolled her eyes and smiled.

"You can tell me the truth, Yugi." He shrugged and shook his head with a smile. "I just kind of liked it." She explained.

"Well, those _are _usually the best additions to your deck." He said in a matter-of-fact tone. "There's a good trade down this way." He said, ducking into an alley. "It's strictly trade. No buying or selling. It's just one big tent." They came out of the alley into a wide, blocked-off street. A red and white striped canopy hovered over a bunch of tables where people bartered over cards.

"Pretty cool, eh?" He asked and she mumbled a 'yeah' and nodded. "Joey's over there." He said, pointing to Joey as he argued over the value of a card. Turning, he saw them and waved them over.

"Yug!" He said as Yugi came closer. "What abou' it?" He asked, showing him two cards. "Wouldn't you say they're da' same as far as value goes?" He questioned, and Yugi smiled, placing his hand casually behind his neck.

"What makes you think I'm qualified?" Yugi asked modestly and Joey rolled his eyes. Yugi looked to Mai for support.

"You are the King of Games." Mai prompted, and the dealer looked at Yugi with added respect. When Yugi looked at him he grinned as if awaiting his sacred opinion.

"I would say they're about the same." Yugi said, and the dealer and Joey swapped cards. The trader wrote it down in his book as the threesome walked to a nearby table.

"Pick up anything for yourself, Mai?" Joey asked with his usual accent. Mai smiled to herself as she examined a rare card in a display.

"Nothing too interesting, Joseph." She said, motioning for the dealer to let her take a look. "At least yet." With a thank you she picked up the card and looked it over. She bit her lip thoughtfully and Yugi examined it with raised eyebrows.

"Think it's worth it?" She asked playfully and he shook his head. She slapped it down on the table, nodded to the dealer, and walked to the next table. Yugi and Joey followed, either content with their trades and purchases, or curious as to what she'd look at.

"So this is the best card fair there is?" She asked, looking at them over her shoulder. Yugi shook his head and she turned around to face him. "Where are the better ones?" She questioned.

"Well, there are good ones in the city yet to come, but you'll have to wait several weeks. There's a real good down south soon though."

"Oh?"

"Our city does have the best, but not at this time during the summer. They're usually in July or so." She nodded.

"Yo', Yugi!" Joey, who had fallen behind, his eyes roaming a table specializing in rare and ultra rare cards called, waving Yugi over. "You should see dis'." Yugi smiled at Mai before walking over to his friend, looking at a card Joey held up.

Mai sighed and looked at her watch.

**__**

12:45

This would be a long, tedious afternoon. She was bored already.

"Dude, I'm banked out." Joey said, flopping down on the bench. They were walking by the ocean, and the sun was about to set. It was 6:53 Mai noticed with disappointment. Joey was meeting Tristan at seven about two blocks away, and no doubt their outing would end there.

"Just one more block, Joey." Yugi said supportively as he plopped down too, panting.

"We've been walkin' all day." Joey said, massaging a sore shoulder. Yugi took in a breath and released it with a little boyish flair. Mai almost chuckled to herself; it _was_ kind of cute.

"Joey, we've got to go." He said finally, getting up and grabbing hold of one of Joey's arms. "You'll be late if we don't." He sounded a bit like a kid with a "know-it-all-and-use-it-all-in-a-good-way" attitude, and she smiled at his persistence.

"Hey, Yug," Joey said, pulling his arm away easily, getting up. "you guys don't have'ta meet Tristan like me." He looked at Mai and then Yugi. "Why don't ya'll go do somethin'? I mean, the night's wrecked if you two both jus'go home and watch the tube. Might as well hang out. It wouldn't kill neither of ya'." Mai tried not to beam. Yugi looked at Mai, then back at Joey.

"Hey, sure. That sounds good to me. How about you, Mai?" She put both hands up in a slight shrug.

"Whatever. Doesn't sound too bad now that you mention it." For Mai, that was a yes. Joey nodded at them both and dashed off with a wave behind his back.

"Smell ya' later!" He called behind his back. Yugi laughed, then remembered he wasn't alone.

"Joey can be funny sometimes." Yugi commented with a smile. She smiled back and they both sat down.

"So what would you like to do, Mai?"

Half an hour later Yugi and Mai strolled down the blocked-off street with ice creams in hand. The carnival loomed around them, and tents of games and entertainment's enveloped their sights.

They passed clowns juggling, children getting their faces painted, and groups of teens standing around, guys arms over their respective girls' shoulders.

Mai dug her spoon into her ice cream and the blue and pink swirl of the cotton candy ice cream contorted. Mai had a purple and silver butterfly painted on her left cheek, and it shimmered as the neon lights flashed across it.

Yugi took the last bite of his and tossed it in the trash, then put his hands on his pockets and looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"What next?" He asked, and she looked around, taking a bite of ice-cream absentmindedly. "How about the haunted house?" He suggested, pointing to a house two blocks down, done over-the-top in scary décor.

"Sure." In fact, it did sound like fun. "Let me toss this." She threw it in the bin and straightened her coat before taking off with Yugi down the street. The carnival had been Yugi's idea, when she hadn't wanted to suggest something, and at first she was wary, but she felt like a little kid again here, and it had made her more at ease with him anyway.

They paused at the door and paid a man dressed as the grim reaper, and he pushed a button. The doors opened with a hiss, and the sounds they had already heard intensified. 

Mai took a step back, and Yugi put a reassuring hand on her back. The touch made her feel lightheaded—it wasn't something she expected—but she didn't let her hopes heighten; it was probably just a caring gesture.

Swirls of fog greeted them as they entered, and assortments of screeches and yells took over hearing anything else. Leaning towards Yugi, she tried to speak but he began walking forward and down an L-shaped hall. Turning left, a corridor of cobwebs and eerie paintings awaited them.

__

I hate, hate, hate haunted houses. She recalled. _Why did I think this was such a good idea? _She picked her way through the fake webs and jumped when a picture shot sparks at her through and old woman's eyes.

Another picture portrayed a murder that was happening over and over again, and she shuddered. It was positively creepy. Finally, with a sigh, she reached the end of the corridor. She looked to her right to see a smirking Yugi.

"What?" She insisted, and he shook his head. "I just realized how much I despise haunted houses." She explained and he nodded, trying to hide a smirk. "Do you think that was fun?" She snapped, pointing behind her.

"It is if I can see you doing it." He chuckled. "Seeing Mai Valentine jump at sparks is pretty funny you know." She wanted to shoot him a remark, but the endearing way he was smiling prevented her from doing so. Besides, he wasn't making fun of her in a bad way, more like playfully teasing her.

With a forced sigh she started through the house again, ready to be rid of the screeching, sparking, cobwebby mess. She came to a door, Yugi padding after her, and she pushed it open.

It pushed back.

She pushed it again, harder.

It pushed back.

"Listen here!" She started, frustrated, heaving at the door with a shoulder, gasping for breath through gritted teeth. "This is Mai Valentine, the best woman duelist the game Duel Monsters has ever seen! The best duelist period! Let me through this—" It swung open and she crashed through, falling to the floor with a thud.

"Ugh!" She screeched through clenched teeth, standing up. "Where…" She looked around. "Where did the person go?" She questioned, turning to Yugi. "Where—"

"It's not really haunted, Mai." He said caringly, as if talking to a child, walking through the small damp, dark room to the next door.

"I know, I just…" _Nevermind_. She decided. _It wasn't important_. The only window in the room, to their right, burst open with a gust of wind and Mai jumped, practically into Yugi's arms.

"You ok?" He asked, looking at her with concern. Then she realized in the scuffle he had taken her hand in his. She dared not speak or move, or even take a breath for fear he would release it. His hand felt so warm and reassuring, and she wanted to squeeze it to test if it was real. She turned to him without a word, and he raised a brow. "Mai? Are you ok?"

"Yes." She blinked a couple times, shaking her head. The shimmering butterfly on her cheek glistened in the pale lighting coming from a fake—glow-in-the-dark—moon out the window. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just got a little startled." He gave her hand a squeeze and took a step closer, looking deep in her eyes, searching her soul.

"You sure?" He asked with concern and she nodded, a small smile escaping. He made a move to start walking and she wanted to shout out and have him stop, for she feared he would release her hand.

He didn't.

Maybe Yugi wasn't the wide-eyed innocent boy everyone thought he was. Perhaps there was a more adult side of him that actually liked girls. Or—she thought with a sinking heart—he had forgotten he was still holding her hand. Or maybe she was clinging! She concentrated on her hand. No, she wasn't grabbing his too tightly. She gave a sigh that she herself didn't even hear. But the heart-sinking thought that he may have forgotten altogether that her hand was in his was still present, pulsing at her mind like a blinking neon light.

They came to the door—the few steps had seemed an eternity—and he twisted the knob. In the eerie silence the door gave a creak as it opened, but nothing jumped out at them when they walked in. Instead they came to a blinding room of fire and ash.

The devil room that is ever present in mad houses.

Flashing red lights wavered like a club, and she had to squint. They turned to their left where smoke-reminiscent billows erupted from a fog machine, swirling around with the flashing strobe lights. Mai, her eyes squinted to slits, grabbed Yugi's arm—either for protection or guidance she knew not.

Several other haunted house attendee's were moving around, lost in the fiery brilliance that left your head throbbing and your eyes aching. With a flash of light people in red spandex, pokers in hand, scuffled into the room, annoying everyone and acting as devil-like as they could.

Not amused, Mai leaned in and was about to tell Yugi to find the exit when he headed towards it himself. They had just about reached the door when someone grabbed Mai and began to pull her into the crazy, tribal-like dance in the center of the room.

Like a flash Yugi changed and snatched Mai from the guy's hand and jerked her towards him. With an angry voice he told the man to _'get lost'_, and pulled her into the next room.

Cackles died out as the door shut, and Mai turned to Yugi. If she didn't know any better she would have thought it an entirely different person. His stance, his aura, his expression—his eyes…were different.

"Yugi?" Then he softened. With a blink looked at her as if with new eyes, and then his brows rose. "Yugi, are you ok?" She asked.

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine!" He sounded to certain, as if hiding something. She looked at him with a brow raised, unconvinced. 

"Are you sure?" She prodded.

"Yeah, Mai, I'm fine." With that he started towards the door, but she wasn't convinced. There was something there that he wasn't telling her. Something strange had happened.

__

Perhaps jealousy? She wondered with a smug smile. _Perhaps Yugi is jealous! _Yes, that must be it. With that same smug smile she walked to the door with him.

The next room held vampires, and the next witches. Both were too caught up in their own thoughts to remember much of it, and no conversation of importance was present.

Soon the sky spread out above them as they walked towards Mai's apartment. Mai hugged herself against the breeze and Yugi walked quietly beside her, hands in his pockets.

"Did you have an ok time?" He asked, and she nodded.

"Yeah, I did. That was a good idea of yours, the carnival." He shrugged. "And thanks for the ice-cream, and the haunted house—"

"Even though you didn't like the haunted house." He cut in with a sly smile. She shook her head.

"No, it just…creeped me out a bit at first. Don't tell Wheeler though, Joey will run with that info." Yugi nodded.

They rounded the block and came to her apartment complex. They trotted up the steps to her door and she slid the key in the lock.

"Thanks Yugi." She said, opening the door and turning to face him, leaning on the frame. "I had a good time…even _with_ the haunted house." She grinned. "And that was an awesome Duel Monsters fair today. You'll let me know when the next one is?"

"Of course." He said. "We always go to them, it was good having you along. Well, I guess I better go, Grandpa is probably wondering where I am by now." He smiled, a little embarrassed. 

Mai didn't see anything wrong with that. She wished she had someone to worry about her. It got so lonely to come home to a dark, empty place every night. Even though Yugi _was_ about to graduate from Domino, he still lived with his Grandpa.

"I'll see you around then, Mai." She smiled and gave a nod. He dashed down the steps and turned around at the bottom to give a little wave. She waved back and watched him turn the corner onto the next block, then practically floated into her apartment—recalling the way her hand had felt in his at the haunted house.


	5. Equestrian Drive

Hey everyone! So sorry this took a while, after I got through the first three sections, the story DID NOT want to be written. Hehe. But some interesting things are coming u[, just you wait! :) It's not too long, but not too short either, hopefully you'll like it. Did I mention that this first part with Yugi and Yami happens to be one of my all-time favorite scenes so far? Just a teaser. ;)

With a quick wave and a hello to his Grandpa, Yugi dashed up the stairs and into his room, throwing the door closed behind him.

"Yami!" He shouted, hands rolled into fists at his side. He turned to his left where the Pharaoh stood waiting with his arms folded, leaning against his desk. "Why did you do that?" He questioned, and suddenly his anger was gone, replaced by a sad, disappointment-filled tone. He sunk onto the bed and look at his Yami questioningly.

"I—" Yami tried to offer some explanation, but Yugi interrupted, standing and pacing around the room absentmindedly.

"She almost found out!" He snapped.

"I doubt she would guess you share a body with and ancient Pharoah." Yami said sarcastically. 

"But she knew something was up. And she had every right to! It's not very often you run into a living breathing Jekyl and Hyde prodigy." Yami smiled to himself; Yugi certainly was upset about this. Mai must be some girl for him to go this bonkers about a little slip like that. Yami nodded. Yes, Mai was worth going nuts like this for. He'd never seen Yugi so quick with words! Poor boy, he had it bad. Yami shook his head with a click of his tongue.

"This girl is important to me, Yami." Yugi said, turning more sincere. "I don't want things to go wrong, especially now. Oh, who am I fooling?" He plopped on the bed once more. "Mai would never think of me in that way. She—she probably…she probably wanted to laugh when I held her hand." He leaned back. "I probably didn't even do that right!"

Yami sat down on the bed next to Yugi.

"Now, I haven't had much experience with women for, oh, several centuries…but I doubt they've changed much. Yugi, I don't think she's that far out of your grasp. In fact, from today's experiences, I think she may even like you." Yugi raised a disbelieving brow. "I even think she _does_ like you!" Yugi rolled his eyes.

"She probably wonders if I even know what a girl is. She probably thinks of me as just a kid." He shook his head. "I probably act just like one."

"I think she does!" He looked thoughtful for a moment. "She acts just the same as this servant girl did. She was in charge of my laundering. She was in love with me. Unfortunately she was much, much too far below me." He sighed. "Unfortunately. She had this hair the color of ebony and as soft as—"

"I believe we were talking of my situation, several centuries after yours." Yami shook off his trance of remembrance and looked at Yugi. "What do I do, Yami?"

The Pharaoh grinned.

Mai sat up in her bed with a jolt.

__

Why didn't he kiss me? She questioned worriedly. _Maybe he doesn't like me after all. Maybe he only held my hand to comfort me. Maybe—_

She lied back down.

__

Or maybe, Mai Valentine, he thought you would smack him. With a frustrated sigh she rolled over on her side, her hands clutching her pillow. No guy, no guy ever, had shook her up this bad. Not even that guy Derek Heartenmine. And she had even gotten dreamy over the dumbest thing in the world: how their names rhymed and how cute her name would look as Mai Heartenmine. Now that she pondered that, she realized how stupid Mai Heartenmine would sound. She shook her head and slammed a pillow over it.

Before she could stop herself though, she was contemplating her name if she were to ever marry Yugi.

Mai Motou.

It almost sounded like one continuous word.

Mai Motou, she repeated in her mind. Hey, at least it wouldn't sound as cheesy as Mai Valentine. And with that thought she drifted into a nightmarish sleep filled with haunted houses, doors that pushed back, Yugi murdering her in a painting, and those eyes when he had grabbed her from that devil-like creature. Those eyes that weren't cold or warm, the ones that let you know they had seen far more than you would ever see in _your_ lifetime.

Yugi adjusted the straps on his backpack and sighed. It was a blustery day filled with thunder and heavy rain that hit him like ice. Kids ran down the streets towards buses and schools, and Yugi sighed again. He walked his usual pace, neither slowing nor speeding, for he was not in the mood to dash about crazily just because of the rain.

No matter how annoyingly cold and dreary it was.

Usually he didn't walk all the way to school alone, he usually met up with Joey pretty quick, but Joey had some project or something before school, so Yugi, poor boy, was forced to walk to Domino alone.

A ritzy sports car was approaching from behind, and he jumped out of the way—and conveniently into some bushes—before dirty water sprayed the sidewalk. Picking leaves out of his hair, he wondered which was worse. However, he had gotten a bit wet nevertheless.

"The best of both worlds." He muttered to himself, standing up and brushing pine-chip mulch off his clothes. The car stopped short, it's nail polish red exterior glistening perfectly with dew-like drops as if it had just finished filming a car commercial.

The door opened with a barely-there click, and Kaiba and his gravity-defying coat emerged from its Italian leather interior that was supple as Yugi's pajama's as home. If Yugi was the cursing kind, he would have cursed his bad luck. However he wasn't, and cheerfully greeted "Mr. Kaiba" with a friendly smile. No one could tell however, save his Yami, whether he mentally cursed or not.

"Hey there, Motou." Kaiba said, leaving a hand on the door. "Need a lift?" He questioned good-naturedly. The two had come to a truce in their past, and just agreed to be slightly annoyed at each other when appropriate.

"Uh," He looked around, then decided he would indeed like a ride. "sure, Kaiba." He grinned. "Thanks!"

"Well then what are you doing standing there and grinning like a posterboy for mattel?" Yugi smiled to himself and shook his head, jogging over to the other side of the car. Stepping inside, it seemed the size of a conversion van.

A three seater bench was behind them, with plenty of leg room, and their own chairs were large enough for Yugi to swim in. Behind the bench of seating behind themselves, was a TV screen or computer like panel which was swirling colors like a dance, and Yugi blinked, lower lip drooping a bit.

Kaiba chuckled and shifted the car into drive. The music played 3DoorsDown's "Loser" softly, almost in the background, and Kaiba tapped his fingers lightly against the steering wheel, singing under his breath.

Yugi leaned back against the seat and let out a breath, gazing at Kaiba, the rear-view mirror ornament—blue eyes white dragon air freshener's—then back at Kaiba. He let out another breath.

"So, uh," He glanced around. "specialty?" He asked, darting his eyes to the air freshener's. Kaiba smirked, but not the unpleasant smirk that made you shift in your seat.

"I can get you some, if you want." He said, not glancing for a moment from the road. "Dark Magician." He corrected when Yugi looked a little puzzled. "But then again you don't have a car." It didn't sound like a taunt, he didn't mean it tauntingly, but it still bit Yugi.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Having a car was one of the many things Yugi had thought about lately. He had been considering the many reasons Mai wouldn't like him, wouldn't go for him, and not having a car was one of the abounding things that were on his list. Well, if he had a list, which he did.

"Well, here we are." Kaiba announced, turning into the parking lot and slipping his car in-between a Honda and a Suzuki. The car stopped and they stepped out, and a polite little, _beep, ding, ding _told them to shut the door.

"Catch you later, Motou." Kaiba announced, slinging his briefcase under his arm and nodding a goodbye. Yugi sighed and looked at Domino High. It didn't look inviting, it didn't look exciting, it didn't even look bearable. He put his hands in his pockets and sighed again. Today could very well be a bad day at school. He never found out though.

Yugi Motou didn't go to school.

He slung his backpack over one shoulder and walked away, down the street, and into a day full of whatever someone who skips school for the day does…he wouldn't know. He'd never skipped a day of school without a reason. Dentist, doctor, problems concerning the shadow realm or duel monsters, sure. But skip a day just because you didn't feel like going? Nope, never done it. So what would he do with his day?

Each teacher who taught a class Yugi Motou attended did roll. They scanned the room at _Motou, Yugi_, when he didn't squeak out _"present!" _cheerfully as usual. They scanned again. They looked at their noted excuses memo pad and didn't see his name for May 25th, no mention of a doctor appointment, a note that he wouldn't be present for whatever. "Yugi Motou?" They would prod again, and no one would even cough.

They would in disbelief blink, bite their lip, or furrow their brows for a moment, then continue roll, wondering why such a good student, an organized, responsible student, wouldn't be present, without any explanation at all. There was a secretary that would take calls from parents or relatives saying they were sick, and they never forgot to tell the teachers…they would shake their head and call out the next name.

Joey, Téa, Tristan, and Bakura met at lunch and had nothing to say after they discussed that Yugi was missing. They poked at food, undid wrappers, and chewed thoughtfully, all contemplating where he could be.

"Yugi isn't the kind to skip." Said Téa, biting into a burger. "I don't think he's missed a day in his life!" She looked at Joey over her cheeseburger appraisingly. "Unlike some other people." She muttered.

"I'm gettin better, ain't I?" Bakura shook his head at the two of them, sipping noisily out of his straw. "I haven't missed in like, well, a week. And dat's pretty good!" Bakura chuckled.

"For you, yes, Joey, that's very good." He smiled good-naturedly.

"Yeah, so 'dere." He stuck his tongue out at Téa, and she rolled her eyes.

Yugi realized, quite soon, that there wasn't much for a 'good boy' to do during school hours. He had lunch, walked in the park, took in a matinee, but ultimately he was bored, wandering the streets alone. At least the day had brightened up, the sun now shone almost blindingly.

Eventually he found himself on a ritzy shopping street, empty fast food cup of soda in his hands. They all looked quite boring to him, that is, until a blonde with low waisted jeans and a red t-shirt with "Doll" written on the front in glitzy silver walked out of "Shichanni's", a red and white striped bag hanging off one wrist.

"Mai!" He called, raising an arm in a wave. She slipped her sunglasses down a bit and peered around over them. She caught him, raised a brow, and then smiled, pushing the sunglasses back into place, casually strolling over to him.

"Hi, Mai." He greeted cheerfully. She looked him over.

"What brings you here, Yugi?" She said saunteringly. "I don't remember you ever being a frequent to this part of town." She smiled. "But Equestrian Dr. is a bit of a shopping district, and I don't remember you being keen on fashion shopping either." She grinned, then looked at her watch.

"School's not out for another twenty minutes." She said in way of a question. "Is it true? Yugi Motou skipping?" She laughed her usual saucy laugh. "Why, I never would have believed it. Oh," She looked at her watch again and shook it. "is my watch broken again?"

"No," He laughed nervously. "I skipped today." She raised a brow. Not that he could see it over her huge tortoiseshell sunglasses, but he could certainly sense it. "Just didn't feel like going." She raised it higher. This time, her brow peeked over the top.

"Are you serious?" She questioned, and he nodded ever so slightly. "So what have you been up to?"

"Oh, noth—" He stopped himself. He didn't want to sound like a loser. He tried to rack his brain for something Joey would say—no, Tristan. Yes, Tristan would be a better bet now. "Oh, just hanging around." He drawled casually. It didn't sound like him, or something he would say, but that was the point anyway.

"So what have _you_ been doing?" He countered. She glanced back at the stores casually.

"Just shopping. Didn't find anything too interesting today though. Summer's already under way, so there isn't a new season for lines to come out for yet." They began walking down the street, neither really noticing, talking casually.

Half an hour later, Yugi brought up the subject of game conventions and trades that were coming up.

"So, next week there's a big fair up north. About a three hour drive. Do you want to come?" She adjusted her bag from her wrist to her hand.

"That certainly sounds interesting. Sure, I'll come—"

"Hey, Yug!" They looked ahead of them to where Joey, Téa, and Bakura were walking towards them. "Where ya' been all day?" Joey questioned. "You weren't at school or nothin'."

"Did you cut?" Téa blurted. "I mean, we didn't think you would—"

"Yeah, I did. I just wasn't—"

"Are you sick?" She asked quickly.

"No, I—"

"Is this an interrogation?" Bakura asked, chuckling. "Poor Yugi." He smiled. "We were just worried."

"Well, Yugi, I guess I better be going." She smiled at him. "So, I'll hear from you about the game fair?" She questioned, walking backwards slowly, peering over the top of her glasses.

"Yeah, I'll give you a call." She gave a little wave, which he returned, and she disappeared around the corner.

All this, Téa watched, fuming inwardly.


	6. Secret Exchange

Finally! Another chapter! No, I hadn't forgotten about this story or you guys. In actuality, I was in Europe—seriously! My family and I went to Europe during May, and Utah and Colorado for most of June. So, yep, there's the explanation. This chapter DID NOT want to be written. The ideas, the scenes came just like that, but the actual writing was another story. So sorry for the long wait! I thought that this story was coming to a close soon, however it keeps telling me otherwise. Turns out a lot of things are going to happen…more than I had planned at least. Enough of my babbling, here's the chapter, and please review!

A horn honked outside his window and he jumped a mile high, his game cards flying in all directions. He sighed as they floated to the ground and shook his head while Yami laughed in the corner, leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

"Oh, shut up." Yugi muttered as he plucked his cards off the ground, his patience gone. He grabbed his backpack and looked at his Yami expectantly. "Come on, let's go!"

***

She sat in her red convertible, the breeze blowing the short hairs around her face. Her left hand was stretched out before her as she inspected the nail polish. She looked at the shop again, this time a short boy was emerging with one strap of a backpack slung over his shoulder.

"Yugi," She said in way of greeting as he tossed the backpack into the back seat and got into the car.

"Hi, Mai." He said, slightly out of breath. "Ready for the fair? Hey, I hear there'll even be rides there this year!" She raised a brow and the expression seemed to say, 'Really?'. "The northern fair has gotten really popular…they have the best selection anywhere—" He cut himself off, feeling like he was rambling.

Mai smiled, this was going to be an interesting drive…

***

"Yugi, go inside and grab something to drink and something to eat, ok?" Mai said as she flipped the gas switch and pulled the lever. "And can you grab me something too?" Yugi nodded as he got out of the car.

"Sure, what?" She bit her lip a moment and then released it.

"Some potato chips and…" She looked at him a moment and he raised a brow. "And, uh, a couple bottles of, um…chocolate yoohoo?" He nodded, a little surprised she had a thing for chocolate yoohoo, but wondering why she was embarrassed about liking yoohoo, and went inside, confused about the whole thing.

***

Several minutes later he emerged with his arms so full his face was hidden behind several chip bags. He waddled out to the car where he dumped his load, then plopped into the front seat.

"What took you so long?" She asked, raising a brow, yet not looking at him as she paid for the gas with her credit card.

"Oh, see, I got a hot dog and I was going to toast the bun and, well, the toaster—"

"Hey, it ate it!" She exclaimed, punching at the keypad with her fingers.

"Yeah, it did!"

"No, this thing won't give me back my credit card—" She said absentmindedly as she punched several keys with aggressive flair. They both looked at each other in silence before Yugi started to chuckle and Mai slowly let a smile slide into place.

Yugi got out of the car and walked over to Mai who gave him a strange look.

"Here," He fidgeted with it a moment before the machine spat out her card, then handed it to her and walked calmly back to the right side of the car where he got in. Mai plopped herself down in her own seat and cast Yugi a curious look.

"How'd you do that?" He shrugged as he put his seat belt on. Mai shook her head as she switched gears and got back on the road.

"Well, I just figured, if I was a credit card machine, and someone punched a bunch of different numbers at once, well, I'd get confused. So I just tried pushing one number at a time." He gave her a somewhat bashful smirk.

She smiled to herself—Really, Yugi was _such_ a dork!

***

An hour later, Mai looked at Yugi, her hair lapping at her face with the convertible top down. The food was half gone, the wrappers and empty bags and bottles strewn about the back seat. Mai grabbed one of her chocolate yoohoo's out of the cup holder and took a drink before speaking.

"If you want some music," She began, tapping the compartment between the seats. "there's a case of CD's in there." Yugi gave a nod and opened the console. A hairbrush, several hair clips, a large green CD case, sunglasses, lotion, body spray, and a smaller purple CD case greeted him.

He grabbed the purple one and shut the console, then started flipping through the CD's. Mai reached to snatch the case from him suddenly, and he looked at her.

"That's the wrong one." She explained quickly in a nervous tone. "The bigger one." She pointed out.

"But there are CD's in here—"

"The other one." She said before grabbing it from him. She opened the compartment and slid it in, then pulled out the green case. "Here." She passed it to him and then he started looking through it.

"This one?" He quizzed, holding up a CD. She nodded and he slid it into the player.

***

"I'm so excited!" Mai, in a surprising outburst, exclaimed as they neared the entrance. She turned around and pressed the lock button on her keys, and her car gave a comforting _'beep!'_ in return.

"Where first?" Yugi asked, his hands in his pockets, his backpack slung over his right shoulder. "There are the rides, the stands, food…" Both of them looked at each other warily, remembering all the food they ate on the way.

"Maybe we should wait a while on food?" She suggested, and he nodded merrily. "Um, how about we trade some cards for now?" Through a cough he nodded, and they both headed towards the dealer stands.

***

"This one?" She asked, holding up a card. He shook his head in silence, then mentioned quietly that he was asking more than its worth, and that shop's back home would do her better for that card.

She sat it down quietly, then followed him out of the purple and white striped tent, her face holding a curious expression.

Yugi sure was different when it came to trading and buying cards. She would have expected him to be a pushover, but he turned into quite the opposite. He was very savvy when it came to these fairs, in a definite, almost masculine way. She found it very appealing, when a guy could take care of himself…and she was discovering more and more each day that Yugi wasn't the little-boyish, quiet, innocent guy she thought he was.

"Why are you trusting me?" He asked suddenly, and the question caught her off guard. He turned to look at her, waiting for an answer.

"What do you mean?" She parried, not knowing what he was talking about.

"I mean that you wouldn't have asked my opinion on, or even let me see, that card back there usually." She hated to admit it, but he was dead right.

"Well, I keep on discovering that you're definitely someone I can trust." She said quietly, and their eyes locked. A moment passed in silence, both not moving an inch or even blinking.

"Yugi!" Both turned to see Téá and the gang running towards them. Mai gave an inward groan. "Hey guys!" She said coming upon them. Joey, Tristan, Bakura, and Serenity jogged up behind her.

"Hey," Yugi greeted them all.

"Pretty cool fair, eh, Yug?" Joey said with a meaningful look at the rides just a short distance away.

"Um, yeah."

***

"Aw, man!" Joey punched the table ad tossed some more money down. "One more time!" The woman handed him three baseballs and he got ready to pitch them at the milk bottles.

"Joey, that's the three-millionth time you've said 'one more time'!" Téá fumed, folding her arms and waiting impatiently for him to finish.

"This time I've got it, though—I swear! I'll get it this time!" He pitched one that was too far left, stuck his tongue out in concentration, then pitched the second, which went too far right.

"Aw, f'get it." He tossed the third one towards the cans, not paying much attention. A clattering followed, and Joey looked, wide-eyed, to see he had knocked them down. "Hey, I did it!" Téa looked in disbelief as the lady handed Joey a large stuffed animal bulldog. "Bet you're eatin' your hat, eh?" He taunted. Seeing Yugi and the others he waved them over.

"Hey, Yug, I won it!" He held up his prize as the gang drew nearer, and Yugi gave him a congratulatory smile. "You want it, Serenity?" He passed the stuffed animal to his sister who had to reach both hands in front of herself and clasp them to hold the oversized thing.

"Where we off ta' now?" Joey questioned, looking around for something to amuse them. "How 'bout a ride?"

"Oh, let's go on the spinning strawberries!" Serenity exclaimed, most of her body hidden by the bulldog. Joey looked towards the "spinning strawberries" with distaste, but swallowed hard and agreed.

The gang started towards the ride, and Yugi and Mai made up the rear.

"Did you want to ride the strawberries?" Yugi asked her, and she shook her head.

"Not too much, but I don't mind." She replied. Yugi stopped walking and looked around. She followed suit, though looked at Yugi—and quite curiously too. "What are you—"

"Follow me," He said, grabbing her hand and ducking behind a row of tents. They both crouched low and watched the gang continue walking towards the ride, oblivious that two in the group had ditched them.

"What are you doing?" She asked again, and he gave a kind of bashful smile.

"Well, you didn't really want to go, and I didn't really want to go, so I thought maybe we could find something else to do." She smiled, and shook her head.

"You know, that sounds like a great plan to me."

***

The night echoed with Mai and Yugi's laughs as they walked down the aisle many hours later, Mai picking at the pink and blue cotton candy she was holding. Yugi would tear a piece off every now and then, but mostly stuck to sipping the soda in his hand.

"I can totally see that." She said, referring to the story Yugi had told about himself and Joey as younger kids. "Was he mad?" Yugi chuckled.

"I guess you can say that that's an understatement." He looked around, then at her. "Do you want to ride the ferris wheel?" She looked over at the wheel that glittered with neon light bulbs as it spun around slowly, stopping from time to time. She hated heights, but she wouldn't dare admit that now.

"Sure," She said tentatively, and they headed down the aisle towards it, getting in line. "I'm surprised we haven't bumped into them at all since we left." She pointed out, and Yugi looked around at those words.

"Well, it _is_ a big place, and they probably headed home before we will." She nodded, picking off the last piece of cotton candy and tossing the cardboard spike that had previously held it into a trash can.

***

Téá had been in a bad mood for a while now. How could they just ditch them—her—like they had? It was most definitely Mai's idea, she was sure of that. She sulked as she stood in line for the spinning strawberries; Serenity had wanted to go one last time before they left, and Joey, who was driving, wanted to leave before the traffic got too bad. She sighed, her arms folded, and continued to sulk.

***

"There you go," Yugi had helped her into the devilish contraption, and now he followed her in and sat down. She hated the way it swung from side to side, she hated that it went so high, and, well, she just hated it. She didn't think she'd ever been on a ferris wheel so high, and her sentiment was confirmed as it climbed steadily higher, and her hands started shaking a bit. She looked over at Yugi who was smiling good-naturedly, looking over the side at all the sights so far below.

"You should see this!" He pointed over at the nearby pond that had a fountain in its center. Lights shone on it, ever changing, red, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and back to red. Mai leaned over and looked at it, but when she tried to say something her breath caught in her throat, and she croaked.

"Mai, are you ok?" Yugi asked with concern, grabbing her arm and looking at her intently. "Mai, what's wrong?" She was embarrassed beyond belief, but she was trembling, and feeling like her mind was a blank.

Yugi leaned down to his knees on the ground, grabbing the sides of Mai's face with his warm little hands and looking at her unblinkingly.

"Mai, it's ok, I'm here. We'll be back on the ground soon." It was a surprising thing for little Yugi to do, taking charge like that, though this he repeated, 'Mai, it's ok, I'm here.' until the ferris wheel came to a stop on the ground, and the man came and opened their door, Yugi's eyes never looking away from hers.

She stumbled out of the compartment, Yugi practically carrying—or dragging—her along until they came to a bench nearby, where she plopped down and started breathing raggedly.

"I—I'm…really sorry about…about that." She stuttered, and he shook his head, turning drastically more serious than usual, almost like a different person.

"It's fine, Mai. I'm sorry I took you on it, you should have told me you didn't like heights—"

"Oh, I don't mind—"

He looked at her and raised a brow, telling her not to waste her breath, that he knew. She shut up, quite quickly in fact.

"Should we head home?" He questioned after several moments of silence. Mai gave a nod and they both stood. Yugi grabbed Mai's hand and slid his fingers in between hers, and they started down the sidewalk, Mai too shocked at this turn of events to speak.

She did, however, not pass by the opportunity to get some of that delicious fair lemonade when they passed by the stall. She tugged on Yugi's hand, very softly to make sure he didn't release his hold, and nodded towards the stand.

"It'll only take a second," She said, and they trotted over and ordered two. And no matter how she tried—it truly was annoying—Mai couldn't stop grinning.

***

The car engine hummed quietly as they stopped at a traffic light. Mai, a hairclip in her mouth, twisted her hair into a quick bun and then secured it with the clip out of her mouth.

"I guess it _is_ getting a bit late." She commented, eyeing the clock that read **9:34** in neon green numbers. "Will your grandpa hate me?" She asked, and Yugi shook his head, his nose wrinkled up a bit.

"How about a new CD?" She questioned, nodding towards the green case lying on the dashboard. Yugi nodded, but when he took the CD out of the player and slid it back into the case, he zipped up the case and shoved it into the middle console. He pulled the purple case out and looked at her as if to say, 'please?'.

"Really, there's nothing interesting in there," She began. "All the good things are in the green case." Yugi, feeling defeated once again when it came to the mysterious CD case, put it back and retrieved the larger case.

***

It was when they had stopped at a gas station so that Mai could get a soda that Yugi attempted to reveal the secret the purple CD case held. After she walked into the store, Yugi opened the compartment and snatched the mysterious case from it.

He unzipped the small, semi-circle shaped case, and discovered several CD's in a genre he would not expect Mai to like. On the first page, a copy of "The Phantom of the Opera" greeted his view, and he turned the pages to only find one other title: "Sarah Brightman's Greatest Hits".

It was while he was searching through these titles in amazement that the car door opened, and Mai appeared, looking, well…disheartened.

"Why'd you look at it?" She asked simply, not in an angered tone, but one that really asked the question. Yugi, defeated, had nothing to say for himself really.

"I'm sorry, Mai, my curiosity got the better of me." He said quietly, putting the case back in the compartment, not looking up. She gave a soft sigh and got in the car, putting her soda in the cup holder and hooking her seat belt.

"It's ok," She said as she put the car into drive. "Really, it's fine." She looked at him and cocked a brow, and Yugi slowly looked up. She gave him a quick smirk of reassurance, which lightened his weight a lot.

After several minutes of silence, Yugi dared to ask a question that he had been wondering ever since he opened the case.

"Why didn't you want me to see those CD's?" He wondered aloud. She bit her lip for a moment, then released it.

"I, well…it was just a bit embarrassing." His brows shot up, then he dropped one in an expression of contemplation.

"You mean, like you thought I'd make fun of you or something?" He sounded truly amazed. "Like I'd tease you about them?" She bit her lip again, and, reluctantly, she nodded. "Well, that's dumb." He said simply, and she looked at him. "Why'd I do that?"

"I—"

"I actually thought it was pretty neat, that you're into opera and all that." He nodded his head once for emphasis.

"You do?" He nodded vigorously. "Well, then I guess you know one of my secrets." She said. "But, it's unfair this way. Now you've got to tell me one of yours."

"One of mine?" She nodded matter-of-factly. "But, I don't have any." In truth, he could think of one big one, but he certainly couldn't tell her that. Especially if the only exchange was finding out she liked opera.

"Oh, I'm sure you have one or two, you mysterious Mr. Motou." She gave a little giggle that was infectious. "Come on, I know you must have _something_!" She poked him in the side and he squirmed. She eyed him expectantly.

"Um, well, I…I like watching Sumo wrestling." She hitched up a brow quite high. He laughed. "So now you know a dark secret." She smiled.

"Sumo wrestling? Seriously?" He nodded, still chuckling.

"See, now _that's_ embarrassing." She shook her head and he tilted his own to the side, watching her.

"No, I actually think that's quite cool." It was his turn to hitch up a brow. "Um, do you mind if I join you sometime?" He hitched it up even higher. "Because I've always wanted to watch it…just never gotten the chance."

"You're making fun of me!"

"No, I'm not!" He looked at her in pleasant disbelief.

"You seriously want to?" He looked at if he was waiting for her to pass the test, which, with just a hint of reluctance, she did.

"Yes, the next time it comes on let me know." She said with confidence. "Please?" She added with a cheesy grin.

***

"Well, we're here." She announced as they pulled up to the game shop. Yugi gathered his stuff and put it all in his backpack, leaning between the seats into the back seat. He zipped up his backpack and slid back into the front seat.

He caught Mai's eyes and was stuck in a limbo. Kiss her, or just say goodbye. He was having such trouble deciding that he didn't say anything and sat there for a moment, eyes locked with her.

"Um, good—goodbye, Mai." He stuttered, getting out of the car quickly. "I'll see you later." He added, sounding more like himself, feeling stupid that he even thought of kissing her.

"Bye, Yugi." She said simply, and he thought he heard a bit of disappointment. But no, why would Mai be disappointed? No, it must be relief he heard, which confirmed that he had made the right decision not to kiss her. He could already see the embarrassing seen that would have been had he tried. 

She nodded towards him before putting her car in reverse and backing out. He stood there for a moment, watching the car drive off, until all was black and silent. He kicked at a stray rock on the ground before going inside.


	7. Another Day's Plan Thwarted Because Téa ...

Sorry it's been so long between chapters! Things have gotten so crazy; so many things are starting up for me. I hope you like this chapter, and reviews are most welcome as I will need a lot of inspiration for the next chapter. (you'll understand when I post it) So, no, I'm not making you review, but it would be a pleasant thing for me to read, as I like this chapter a lot too. Wish me luck with the next, thanks for being here to read this chapter—if you are :)—and look out for the plot twist at the end. ;)

~*Astarii

(sorry it's on the short side as well!)

She slammed her mug of tea down, a corner of her lip pinned between her teeth. The tea bag swirled around in the rapids of tea she had created in the cup, it sloshed against the sides and the small bit of sugar at the bottom that hadn't been dissolved got shaken up like a tornado.

Mai, her loose blonde waves gently curling around her face, furrowed her brows in thought.

__

Why did he do that!? She wondered angrily. _Couldn't he tell Téa was just calling the shot? _Mai seethed with irritation. Not truly at Yugi, bless his heart he had no idea the games girls played, but at Téa, who had ruined her day, her mood, and ultimately just plain irritated her.

And stupid, dumb—yet lovable—Yugi had played into her game without realizing one iota what was going on. He had dropped everything to be nice! Dropped _everything_ to be nice! Nice! _Nice! _She fumed. Yugi was just too nice sometimes, and if she didn't do anything, matters could be worse.

She gulped the last of her Earl Grey tea before tossing the bag in the trash and sitting the cup and spoon in the sink. She walked into her bedroom, changed into something more presentable, threw her hair up in a clip, slipped into some shoes, and grabbed her purse and jacket before going out the door, retrieving her car keys as she did so.

What had happened, you ask? Yugi and Mai had had a whole day planned, but Téa had shown up, begging Yugi—"Oh, I'm so sorry to ruin your day and everything, but I just am so behind with my homework—would you mind helping me, Yugi? I'd appreciate it so much, and I really am sorry…I'm sure Mai understands."—to help her with homework because of a test the next day. 

Téa had had to sign up for summer school because of not being able to finish world history with a good grade—Mai, in all honesty, didn't understand how that had happened—and so it _did_ sound realistic that she ask Yugi for help on studying. World history was Yugi's best subject, any idiot that was friends' with him knew that, so again, Téa's plan was perfect.

Yugi, predictably, had assured he would help in any way he could, and had—again, predictably—canceled Mai's and his plans in order to help his suffering friend. Mai wanted to puke. Suffering? She sure wasn't suffering…at least, not yet as far as Mai was concerned.

"Where does she live now?" Mai shouted. "Hurry up, Wheeler, I don't have much time." Joey shot her a glare, which she had already been returning.

"Wha' for, Mai?" Joey was irritated. And, well, he had a right to be, seeing as he was standing, dripping wet, in a Hamtaro towel, right smack dab in the middle of his bathroom. He had been taking a shower.

"I need to go over there!" Patience was never a virtue Mai possessed, especially at the moment. "Hurry up and tell me or I'll make sure the whole of Domino High gets a lovely centerfold in its news paper of you in that lovely little number." Joey rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his bare chest. His hair currently resembled a straw-colored mop, which was dripping water, not helping to add to the effect.

"Baker street." He finally said with a frustrated sigh. "2464 Baker street—now can I get my shower in peace?" He shouted.

"Yes, Joseph, yes, go ahead." And with that she pushed the door open and dashed out of his house.

Half an hour later, Mai pulled into the drive of a fairly nice-sized house with warm lighting apparent in the windows. She had a plastic bag filled with ice-cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and some toffee bits in her hand as she walked up the red brick walkway to the door. She knocked upon the door's window, standing on her tip-toes and prancing from foot to foot, waiting for an answer which finally came by a woman in her mid to late forties.

"Is Téa and Yugi Motou here?" She questioned. The woman smiled warmly, beckoning her in. "Thank you," Mai seemed to whisper as she stepped into the comfortable home.

"They're upstairs, go ahead on up." Again she smiled warmly, one of those motherly smiles that made Mai wish…never mind, it wasn't important, and she didn't want to think about it. "Third door on the left." She instructed, and she padded up the stairs, her mind whizzing with the different lines she had had practiced in the car. They seemed to dissolve into nothing as she forgot them instantly, and the door was in sight—no more time to think.

She knocked quietly, then, getting up her courage—the real Mai was back—she knocked again more confidently. She could hear muffled talking, the muffled _pad-pad_ of feet walking upon carpeted flooring, and then the doorknob turned with a small squeak.

"Oh—hi, Mai." She said, trying to hide her surprise. Ha! Like she could hide it from Mai…and she was so bad at it too. She smiled, then heard a voice from somewhere in the room.

"Mai?" It questioned, and she recognized Yugi's cheerful, delighted surprise. "Téa, is that Mai?" He asked, standing up and walking to the door. She greeted him with the same, stuck smile, trying to be casual yet fuming inside.

"I thought you two might want some studying munchies." She suggested, holding up the bag and sounding sickeningly cheerful. "I brought ice-cream!" She announced, her cheerleader smile spreading to expose more teeth. "Yug, wanna' go fix it up for us?" She practically shoved the bag into his stomach, which he grabbed instinctively.

"Um, yeah, sure." He said, his shocked expression changing to the patented Yugi personality. "I'll be right back." With that he skipped down the hall and you could hear his sneakers thud down the stairs. Mai swung the door shut casually, smiled as she listened for him to be out of hearing distance, then let her smile drop as she folded her arms, and bit her lip contemplatively.

"Look, Téa," She began, gaining a woman-to-woman tone. "I know what you're up to—trust me, I know." She said when Téa went to speak. "Let me just tell you now that whatever you're plotting isn't going to happen…Yugi's a big dumb bone, but I'm not going to let him stumble around in the dark. So, let me just say, what you're trying to do here, is pointless." She finished sarcastically.

"I, well, I—" Téa began, but Mai put a hand up.

"Look, love, goodness knows I understand how annoyingly adorable he is, but—"

"Oh, you do?" Téa shot back, her first real words at all. "It seems to me that Yugi didn't even cross your mind until he became the King of Games a while ago. And he had to go through a lot more stuff and prove himself through that stuff before you looked his way." Mai cocked a brow. "And he sure had to become a hot commodity before you started making an effort to hang out with him." She finished with, folding her own arms and cocking her own brow.

"Please, please, please." Mai said, holding up her right hand and shaking it like a wave. "Hold up there, sweety. How did you suddenly know when I started liking Yugi? I could've liked him since first grade without you ever knowing, because, well, I don't confide in you—or anyone for that matter."

Téa, surprisingly, sat down with a sigh, then looked at Mai sadly, almost pitifully. She shook her head with another sigh, contemplating what to say and what not to say, and with a look to Mai's complete confusion, she swallowed before finally coming out with it.

"Mai," She began in a totally honest, up-front, yet friendly way, and Mai was reminded of a best friend giving counsel, that is, from what she'd seen on TV. Mai Valentine had never had a best friend, sad to say, and it was when she saw them on TV, hashing about boys, going to movies, doing the best friend stuff, that she desperately desired for one. However, Mai Valentine would never admit it. Of course not!

"That's just it." She said simply, and still Mai was confused. Téa sighed before continuing, gaining confidence in her cause, her tone becoming more even. "Yugi…Yugi doesn't feel you can get close to him—that you _want_ to get close to him."

"What do you mean?" Mai asked, bewildered.

"Just like you said! You said you didn't confide in anyone, and Yugi feels like you don't want to get close to him, like there's a wall that you don't want to take down. It doesn't bother him, really, except he wants to be really close with you—he wants to talk to you, confide in you—but he feels like it's _him_ you don't want to confide in." Mai tried to take it all in, and while she did there was the unmistakable feeling that she had done yet another something wrong.

"Mai," Téa said sincerely, leaning forward and looking at her with wide open, honest eyes. "Yugi likes you a lot…he wants more in a girlfriend than handholds and movies, he wants _you_. All of you. He wants you to trust him, to talk to him…he really does, and all he ever talks about is you. All he can ever say is how wonderful you are…and when he talks to me about this, all he says is that he wants you to trust him, to talk to him." She seemed to look even more intently on Mai if that was possible.

"He likes you so much, Mai, give him the chance to have your heart …I promise he won't break it."


	8. Just As Special

Sorry I left ya'll with such a cliffhanger! But here is the chapter with my apologies for leaving on such a note. My sister got engaged—again, to someone else; long story—and it's only in a month (wow!), so I apologize if updates aren't so frequent for the next little bit. On another note, contrary to popular belief—and several pleading emails to which I must say thanks, and that I feel so loved. :) —this is _not_ the ending chapter of Keep Pretending. I had left some author notes for myself on the bottom of the chapter and forgotten to delete them, one of which mentioned something about the last chapter being the next. I fixed it quickly, because 1) You can't have all my secrets for plot! And 2) The last chapter note had to do with something else. Until you know my writing style, then you won't get the random notes I write in chapters. lol. So, no, this is not the last chapter. Hopefully you're happy about that!

Mai sighed.

In the pit of her stomach lied the funny feeling that what Téa had said, the things she had told her, were right. Why was she right? Mai didn't know what to feel—happy that her problems with Téa were over? Sad that Yugi felt the way he did? Both for the whole situation, that Yugi was hurt, but that she could fix things…

But what if she couldn't?

A spark of paranoia hit her that perhaps she could never be able to trust him, no matter how hard she tried and wanted to. But she wouldn't know until she tried, and she just _had_ to try.

The door to Téa's room opened just as Mai caught a look of sympathy upon her new friends' face. Yugi came in, barely balancing three bowls of ice-cream, one tilted against his chin in an awkward angle.

"Here you go, girls." He greeted cheerfully, completely unaware of the conversation they had just had. Téa stood up and relieved Yugi of the ice-cream bowls, setting them on her large oak desk. She had a curious, somewhat determined look on her face, and after she set the last dish down she looked at Yugi.

"You know, I think I need to get to bed; tomorrow's test is going to be mondo hard and I don't want to be sleepy." She gave a little laugh. "Then all our study time would be wasted. Um, why don't you catch a ride back with Mai?" She looked at Mai casually. "Do you mind? That way I don't have to take him." She rolled her eyes and gave a little chuckle, and Yugi, good-natured soul that he was, smiled along with her. Perhaps Mai would have too, but too many thoughts were running through her head at the moment.

"Yeah, sure." She managed to spit out. She adjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder, giving a little hint she was leaving, but Yugi spoke with a little concern in his tone.

"You girls don't want you're ice-cream?" He asked as if it was something terribly important. He looked at them both, flicking eyes to Téa, Mai, Téa, Mai.

"I'll eat mine before bed." Téa said casually, in an offhanded way, grabbing hers and sitting on her bed indian style. "And Mai said she wasn't feeling up to ice-cream anyway." She added, relieving Mai of thinking up her own explanation.

She couldn't have thought of one at all; her mind was wheeling in Yugi's presence, knowing that he thought that she didn't like him enough…it was driving her mad, she had to get out of here, fast. He was so close, and this whole time he had thought that—she couldn't bear it, and now they were going to drive in the car together, alone—what would she say? She just needed to get out before she suffocated. Every breath seemed to make her dizzier—

"Ready to go?" Her eyes darted to Yugi's questioning face as he looked at her, his head tilted like those little adorable animals in children's cartoons. She must have nodded, because he said a goodbye to Téa, she thought, and they were walking down the steps, out the door, and down the sidewalk to her car.

In a haze she barely remembered sliding in the key and starting the car. Hazily she remembered driving down the road in dazed silence. Everything seemed to encompass everything else, and she seemed to only notice details, but nothing else. She vaguely glanced at lights and stop signs, but the car seemed to drive itself.

"Mai, turn left here." Yugi said in a strong voice, and before she thought about it, she had turned left instead of the fore planned right. It was when she had realized what had happened that she looked at him, and suddenly the haze was gone, as if his voice had broken a mystical spell.

His eyes held a boldness about them, and she only glanced for split seconds at the road. He stared straight ahead, arms folded with that still same boldness, yet there was a tenderness about him still.

"Turn right, here." He pointed out, his voice confident, yet with a tone like he was guiding a child. She did so, leading her to a near singular road with lush green on either side. He had led her to the park, and at the same time she knew not why and exactly why.

She coasted the car to a stop in the small parking area, and they both got out without a word.

Yugi stuck his arms in his pockets, his jacket collar flapping slightly with the end of summer breeze. She folded her arms and fell into step behind him, her shoes clicking on the sidewalk as he led her on without a word of where they were going.

"You need to talk." He said simply, suggestively, like a tug to get her to converse. She sighed without a word as the sidewalk curved to continue along the lake's banks.

"It would seem," She said after a moment. "that you are the one instead." He shook his head, and, for the first time, really, she noticed how much more confident he was now, standing taller, his shoulders more broad than she remembered.

"No." He said quietly. "No, indeed. You know how I feel—Téa told you—but you need to talk to me about it. As soon as she told you, you felt the need to talk to me…I know you better than you think, Mai. Though, to be honest, you wouldn't like it that way." He shot her a look, and in the dark she couldn't tell if it was a cocked brow that he held in his expression, or a knowing smirk. The tone could have suggested both.

Again she sighed, leaning her head on her own shoulder, the small strands of her hair that blew in the breeze sending a luscious scent that Yugi caught in the wind. The scent of coconut and citrus, a peculiar smell for hair, but he had come to recognize it as her scent. Even in times when she drenched herself in perfume he could still smell the smell coconut and citrus, like a crisp winter night in the tropics.

"I do not know what to say," She said in honesty. "there are a lot of things I am thinking, thousands of thoughts, it seems, but when I try to put anything into words they don't connect into any sentence that would make sense to anyone but me, and that only because I am knowing the thoughts behind them." She spoke with an air of nostalgia, like a woman reminiscing a regret in the past, or telling a story to a group of enthralled listeners.

"Yugi, I—" She was interrupted by his taking a seat on a wooden bench in the shade of a large tree, but he motioned for her to sit next to him and urged her to continue. "I'm sorry if I ever hurt you by not confiding in you." She began. "I honestly thought you'd never notice—actually, I never noticed myself." She sighed in an offhand, frustrated sort of way, pushing her hair back restlessly as she tried to put her words together in order to say what she was feeling.

"Yugi, I like you a lot—I like you so much." She added with deep sincerity, looking at him in the eyes. "But, I…I just have never confided in anyone. I never had anyone to confide in, and once I got older, I was all show and everything; I didn't want to show any weakness to anyone. I was strong, I was a duelist; I could kick anyone's butt. That was my mindset, and I couldn't afford to let anyone know anything otherwise. Confiding in someone was something I saw as weakness, however stupid that may sound. And the more I fell into that thought, the more I became that thought. Without thinking I've grown to just not confide, or talk about anything really personal, or not let anyone know any true side of me that I may not want to show."

"Like, for instance," She continued when he didn't speak. "at the game fair a while ago, we both traded or bought duel monster cards. You showed me yours without a second thought, but before I could even think twice, I pulled mine out of your view. It may seem like a simple thing, but don't you see?" She nearly pleaded.

"I like you Yugi, I have for a long time now, and I would never do anything to hurt you, or to make you dislike me in any way." She swallowed. "You're the closest thing to a best friend, or family, I've had." She said quietly.

"I really want to confide in you, talk to you about anything and everything that bothers me, or makes me happy or sad…and if you're…if you want to…_I_ want to Yugi." She said as a quiet whisper.

"As stupid as it sounds, you have no idea how much I want to."

They sat in silence for several moments, the words sinking in on her just as much as him. She wanted him to speak so badly, yet she was scared of what he might say. Scared that he may drop her because she wasn't worth the trouble, or maybe because she had wasted his time. It was when she couldn't decide between which of the two dangers she would prefer that she spoke next instead.

"I like you, Yugi, and I want to be a good girlfriend who talks and laughs with you, who shares everything with you…I just feel I fall so short of what some other girls could do. I see them every single second of every day—and I want to be like them so much…" Her words drew into silence as she realized she had nothing left to say.

Yugi sighed, but it wasn't frustrated, or upset—in fact it was barely anything besides a release of breath.

"You see the moon, Mai?" He questioned thoughtfully, jerking a mere finger towards it for a second.

"Yeah…it's gorgeous tonight." She commented, a little confused. He nodded at this, still looking at the glorious sphere that shone so luminously across the park.

"The moon gives off light, right?" She nodded, still perplexed, and also a little wary. "It gives off a lot of light, right?" He asked, and to this she nodded again. "But…is the sun brighter?" She nodded yet again, confused further still.

"Let me tell you a story," He began. "about the sun and the moon." He adjusted himself on the bench and gained a contemplative, thoughtful tone and expression, like a scholar pondering the wonders of the galaxy.

"The moon gave off as much light as it could—every night it would try its best. One day, he realized the sun gave off more light, and so he felt he wasn't as important or impressive." She nodded, sensing the relativity of her situation and the story. "So he continued with his job, all the while feeling incompetent. What would you say to that?" He questioned.

"Well, that's just silly." She expressed. He nodded, as if he'd proved a point, a corner of his mouth drawn ponderously.

"So," He continued. "then one day, the moon decided he'd never put off as much light as the sun—but he was still, as you put it, 'gorgeous', he was still appreciated…and he was still…" He lifted her chin with a relaxed fist. "_Just as special_."


	9. I Think You Should Tell Her About Me!

It's an update! Hurray! hehe. Hope you enjoy this chapter, even though it's a wee bit on the shorter side. More serious matters are the topic! Anywayz, hope you like the chapter, and please update! hint, hint, and more hinting lol. No, seriously, you guys are great at reviewing—thanks so much, I appreciate it!

Yami sighed. The moon shone effulgent rays across the surface of the desk he sat at. He looked out the window wistfully, staring at the moon, one of the few things that hadn't changed since his former life. However, here in Tokyo, with the cities' lights—even in the suburbs—the moon didn't seem so large and opalescent.

In Egypt the moon shone large and more stunning than words could ever describe. Breathtaking and seductive in its blue-tinged, shadowy light. Here, in Tokyo, it was small, nearly minuscule, lonely. In Egypt it was so large it covered most the night sky, so close one could touch it. But here, it was distant, too far away to even dream of being within reach.

The Pharaoh could even hear the distant pipes playing the sound so often heard in the sands of Egypt. Their mysterious and sultry tunes…

But he couldn't think about that now. No; something pressed on his mind. Something that needed to be thought upon, and a matter of importance.

Yugi, so quick to urge Mai to confide in him, to trust him and tell him everything she needed to, every anger she needed to vent, every secret that needed to be told, kept a large secret himself. One he never thought to confide in her…yet Yami knew he must.

Mai must know the secret Yugi and Yami kept. Yugi would never agree, he knew that, but Yami must urge him—must tell him the importance of doing so. Mai would someday find out, and if she knew that he had kept it from her…

It would break all trust between them.

***

Yami was awoken grandly. He had fallen asleep, leaning on the desk's surface, and Yugi had banged into it while attempting to put his shoes on standing up—whilst hopping on one foot it might be entertaining to add.

Yami jumped up, mumbling something about "Sheerza", and looked around drunkenly. His eyes, at first burning from the sunlight, caught Yugi looking around for a jacket.

The room was a mess, hindering his quest, and Yami got up without a word and looked below a pile of laundry—whether it was clean, dirty, or barely worn he couldn't tell you. He retrieved a green windbreaker jacket and passed it to Yugi.

"Thanks, Yami—" He looked around for something else, and Yami arched a brow. "I…never mind."

"Yugi," The Pharaoh began. "I wanted to talk to you about something—"

"I've got to go, can it wait till later?" He moved to the door and looked back when there wasn't a reply. Yami sighed, nodding. Yugi, encouraged to leave, left without another word.

Yami could hear his sneakered feet pounding down the stairs, hear his voice say goodbye to his grandpa, and when he looked out the window he saw Yugi dash down the street towards the bus stop.

Yami sighed, sitting down at the desk once more, the wistful expression again on his face from the night before.

***

It was late at night when Yugi returned. His grandfather was asleep in his room as Yugi passed by, Mai on his arm. They tiptoed up the stairs, stopping at the landing to say their goodbyes.

"I'll see you later, Mai." She peered at the cracked door to his room. "I—"

"Do you want to go in for a bit and talk?" She asked.

"No—I…nah, I'm tired. Do you mind?" Again she peered at the door. Someone was in there, she just knew it… "Did I hurt your feelings?" He asked, reading her expression the wrong way.

"No, not at all." Why didn't he want her in there? What secrets did he hide? He never asked her in, never let her in. He had always found a way to skip around it. Tonight was no different. "OK, Yugi, I'll see you tomorrow." She turned without a kiss and trotted down the stairs, out of his sight.

Yugi felt bad. But he couldn't—not with Yami…maybe someday he'd have the foresight to have Yugi hide in the bathroom for a while. She thought something was up—knew something was up because there _was_ something.

He realized he was still standing there, mute, in the hallway at the top of the stairs, and sighed, shaking his head as he walked into his room. The light was off, and he found Yami sleeping, leaning over the desk, the way he had found him this morning.

"Yami…" Yugi whispered, leaning over the Pharaoh, touching his shoulder lightly. "Yami?" His head rolled over to face Yugi, and his eyes blinked open faintly, taking in Yugi and then his surroundings. He blinked several times again, thoughtfully, then turned over and went back to sleep without a word.

Yugi pondered the royal neck and backache Yami would have in the morning, but as he knew Yami wouldn't necessarily appreciate being carried around the room by his "bodily-companion", he decided to just go ahead and sleep himself. Besides, Yami wouldn't blame anyone but himself in the morning.

***

Yami awoke with a royal headache. He cursed Rah as he got up stiffly, his body creaking and cracking as he did so. His eyes scanned around the room, empty of people save himself.

He cracked his neck to the left, rubbing the sore muscles on the opposite side at the same time, his eyes darting to the clock. It wasn't late or early, and he stood, his back cracking comfortably as he left the room in search of Yugi.

He found the boy downstairs, sorting through stacks of Duel Monsters cards at the register desk, thoughtfully writing down in a notebook every few moments. Yami watched silently for a little while before taking up the courage to approach him with the topic he had been meaning to.

"Yugi?" The boy's head looked up, the trademark cheery expression on his face when his eyes registered the sight of Yami. He then arched a brow questioningly, and Yami continued. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something." He mentioned, then his eyes scanned the surroundings. "It's something private—"

"Grandpa's gone for the day." Yugi mentioned, and Yami looked comforted. "What did you want to talk to me about?" He returned to looking through the cards, though he listened intently, and Yami swallowed before speaking.

"It's about Mai and…well…us." This caught Yugi's attention, and his eyes darted to the Pharaoh. "Yugi, you always tell her of how you want to know all about her, how she should feel like she could confide in you everything—"

A young boy approached the door to the game shop and was peering in excitedly. Yami was prepared to spring to a hiding place, but a man approached, took the boy's hand, and dragged him away, much to the lad's disappointment.

Yugi looked at Yami in a "continue; I'm listening even if I don't want to" way, and Yami swallowed before continuing. Yugi's hands shuffled and sped through decks precisely, his fingers practiced in what he was doing, though it was absentminded, for his mind had forgotten the task and he merely went through over and over, not heeding what the cards he zipped through were.

"Yugi, how can you tell her that all the time when—" His eyes darted to the door, where two preteen boys came in, ripping their wallets out of their pockets and looking around as if no one on earth could know more about Duel Monsters than they.

Yugi dismissed his task, pushing the boxes away. He approached the boys, and their faces turned to expressions of awe. Yami could hear them talk excitedly to the King of Games, Yugi Motou, and, though it usually caused him to smile, he frowned, frustrated with the interruption.

The boy's heeded Yugi's suggestion and trotted merrily away with their purchases. Yugi tugged the boxes towards him once again, and looked a Yami expectantly.

"I think you should heed your own council," He continued, his tone frustrated. "I think you should—" The computer behind Yugi beeped, signaling the need for his attention, and Yami, frustrated even more, grew silent as he waited.

Yugi clinked on the keyboard for several moments, clicked on the mouse, and scrolled several times before turning to Yami again with that irritated, continue please, expression and attitude. Yami, not ready to be interrupted again, burst out with the main line of what he had been wanting to say for the past two weeks.

"I think you should tell her about me!" He shouted, and Yugi stopped doing anything, and looked at the Pharaoh without a change of expression.

***

"You don't think there's another woman, do you?" Mai asked, somewhat comical, though she sincerely asked the question. Téa looked thoughtful, a finger to her lips in a musing, pondering sort of way. She held the expression of someone trying to solve a mystery of deepest importance, and in the end she shook her head.

"I don't think so, Mai." Mai nodded, she already knew her friends answer. "Maybe he's working on something new? Duel Monster's wise?" She was asking a question of Mai, though she seemed only to wonder aloud.

It was Mai's turn to shake her head. "Joey would know. I would know. His grandpa would know. Someone would know; Yugi's not a loner. He'd want someone in on this, even if he just wanted to vent his thoughts on it.

"Besides, if it's big he wouldn't keep it in his room, and if it's small he'd be able to hide it. Something's up, Téa, and is it selfish of me—untrusting of me to want to know what it is?" She seemed to collapse in the chair though she was already sitting down.

She picked up the cup of soda on the table, and it left a deep amber-colored ring on the plastic counter surface of the fast food joint's table as she brought the straw to her lips.

Her bright pink, succulent pout sucked on the white and red striped straw as a group of guys came into the place. Her eyes darted to the group and she set the cup down, smiling and waving them over.

Tristan, Joey, Bakura, and Duke trotted up like different breeds of peppy, happy little dogs, their differences as clear as their styles of dress, another thing that made them different.

Tristan, wearing whatever he could find around the house, looked casually stylish, laid-back and appealing, his hair short and out of the way, and his biking gloves still on his fingers.

Joey, though much like Tristan, usually had some crumpled and well-worn sneakers on his feet, sometimes a pair that, in the distant past were a bright color. And a necklace—usually a chain with some kind of charm—was always present on his neck, and longer hair that always fell around his face in that messy, appealing way girls always fell for.

Bakura could be summed up pretty well in one word. Preppy. As he had matured his style had as well, and dirt-washed jeans or khaki's usually were worn, along with sometimes—when feeling daring—a vintage tee, or a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and the top two buttons undone. Scuffed up brown boots were mostly the norm, or raggedy tennis shoes, and beaded, hemp, or bottlecap necklaces were tied on his neck most all the time.

Duke…well, Duke as well could be summed up in one word—or two. Bad boy. (With a good heart, of course) Jeans, muscle shirts under everything he wore, his hair jet black and in messy layers. His shocking green eyes always shone through as windows to his soul, leather jackets and vests, black gloves that left his fingers free. Every girl wanted Duke, the Bad Boy, and _Duke_ only wanted a girl who didn't want that persona. Someone who saw past that to the vulnerable guy he really was.

They stood there, a funny looking crew, all different, al the same, smiling at the two girls they had, by chance meeting, come upon.

"Grab a seat and sit your butt down." Mai said, scooting over, making room, and Téa did the same. "What brings you dopes here?" She asked, and they threw out the obvious answers. Joey and Bakura were sent to get food, and they returned, each arm holding a plastic tray of greasy, fried food on its surface.

Half an hour later Mai began to excuse herself, and Duke, looking at his watch, did the same. With cheery waves they disappeared out the door and went their separate ways. Immediately, Téa turned serious and looked around at the guys sitting beside and across from her.

"She suspects something." She said seriously, quietly. "Yugi's never taken her into his room—" Joey snickered, chuckling, and looked around, then realized she wasn't talking about that and hid a blush. Téa rolled her eyes along with Tristan—Bakura hid any emotion at the comment—before continuing. "She thinks maybe he has another girl, but she knows that isn't right. She spouted tons of things her imagination has come up with to me over lunch." She sighed, and everyone let it sink in.

"Something has to happen…" She looked around at them hopelessly. "But what?"

***

Yami sighed. Yugi hadn't taken the suggestion well. He had blown him off, actually, without a word, and taken up the boxes of cards and went into his grandpa's office. Several hours later, Yami, hearing Yugi stir, had rushed into the upstairs hall to investigate, only to be disappointed when he left through the front door without saying anything to Yami.

It was now late evening, and Yami was almost worried for him.

Had Yami been foolish to tell Yugi what he thought? They'd been through so much together—infinitely more than any other two beings in history, for they had shared emotions, thoughts, pains, fears, frustrations, strategies, suffering, and hatred all together.

They were joined, even when they weren't technically, and could still tell whatever the other was thinking or feeling. It was this power that they had that hurt Yami most now, for he could feel Yugi's pain and frustration…and he could do nothing.

He longed to know what exactly pained Yugi, what exactly frustrated him. If only they could talk! But Yugi was closed to Yami for now, he had shut the door, shutting the Pharaoh out in the process.

Yami had saved the world but he couldn't get one man to speak with him!

Yami longed to throw a nearby book against the wall, but what would that do? It would accomplish nothing. He was stuck, powerless until Yugi opened up to him. He was bound by a man; and he could do nothing until that man acted first.

Yami leaned across the desk, and for the third night in a row, fell asleep in that position.


	10. Betrayal

First and foremost, my apologies for this massive wait for another chapter. I knew what was going to happen, however I had zero inspiration at all. Last night there was a flicker of excitement about writing it, but soon it was lost to watching Samurai X with ice-cream instead. +sigh+ But tonight I got ultimate inspiration because I made myself sit down and watch Yu-Gi-Oh! I haven't watched the series much lately, and even seeing the last ten minutes gave me the zip to sit down and write. Hope you like the plot twist.

Yami woke up bright and early on Saturday morning. Actually, it was dark and early. He was so anxious for his day that he woke up at five-thirty, and he was, surprisingly, peppy.

Yami had a plan.

He did everything possible to get ready to greet the—later—morning, and found himself twiddling his thumbs at eight. Yugi, naturally, was sleeping in. Hey, it was Saturday after all.

Yami, in an angelic mood, decided to get everything ready to go for a spectacular breakfast for Yugi. He also decided to clean the kitchen. Now, at nine-thirty, he went to the phone, flipped through the ID for a number, and dialed.

"Hello?" A female voice greeted on the other line. Yugi summoned his courage. He was a powerful, magical pharaoh…however talking to girls on the phone was never something he had to work on in his previous life. Sure, talking to girls…but he never had to impress; he was pharaoh, they had to impress him and, well…

He had never had to be someone else.

"Mai?" He tried to make his voice sound like Yugi as best as he could.

"Hey, what's up?" Phew, it had worked.

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today…?"

***

Yami's plan was perfect, at least he thought he had every detail worked out into minute attention.

When he heard Yugi begin to get up and get ready for the day, he dashed around humming in his head an old song from his previous life.

__

When the sun shines its last ray upon the sands,

The moon rising high above the land,

The mystery of the Nile shall appear,

The god's instruments all men shall hear,

Then come into the moonlight she will,

And all, in reverence, will be still,

She is the goddess of the night,

Her face shall never see the light,

But beauty has never been so fair,

Dark silken waves are her hair,

Shining as the midnight star,

All who hear of her travel far,

Goddess of the night look upon me,

Let your love shine upon me,

For I dream of you in night and day,

Words of you are all I can say,

Love me now as I love you,

Let your love for me be true.

He paused to reflect on memories of his past, memories that were bittersweet. He did not have long to ponder, though, because Yugi began down the steps, and Yami rushed to make sure everything was in place.

Yugi's expression was neither irritated nor excited. Instead, he looked from Yami, to the table laden with breakfast food, to Yami, and then to the table again.

"I know it isn't what you're probably used to for breakfast, but it's some things like I used to eat…before." He gave a weak kind of smile, and Yugi sat down slowly, taking in the massive feast the Pharaoh had prepared.

"I—I hope you like it." Yami began. "It's just, I was sorry about that—my outburst." Yugi looked around the table once more, then to Yami, and smiled warmly.

"Hey, that's OK, Yami, I'm sorry myself. I've…I've been…I've not been myself lately."

***

Yami casually leant against the wall of the large building. He glanced at his watch for a flicker of a moment to see if she was late.

In his anticipation he soon realized he had arrived early, and paid the fee by being even more anxious than before, standing there, his eyes darting here and there for a sign of her.

And then he saw her. Bouncing blonde hair, short skirt, baby-doll tee, a purse slung casually over her shoulder. Her feet slapped the pavement and her head turned right and left, looking for Yugi.

She saw him, or she thought she did, and approached with a happy smile.

"Hey! Have you been waiting long?" He shook his head, trying so very hard to keep every single detail of his persona like Yugi, but he seemed to pass the test. She took his hand and they started down the street.

"Where do you want to eat?" He asked casually, and she seemed thoughtful, glancing down one of the main streets of Tokyo.

"Somewhere different?" She asked, her face totally unguarded, her expression sincere. Yami had yet to see this side of Mai, and it surprised him.

"Sure." Rain started to sprinkle, and she pulled her lips inward with thought. "Where should we go—" She got a smile across her face, and she took his hand tighter, dashing down the street as the rain began to pour.

"Let's go wherever our feet take us!" She exclaimed, dodging through the crowd that formed to cross the street at a blue light. "Wherever we find the best shelter, whichever restaurant has an interesting name." She giggled, and people made their way around the running couple.

Finally, when their breath became harder to draw, they ducked into a dark little café and looked around. She turned to him with a smile, and he returned one, knowing she was asking for approval.

They sat down in a comfy, cushy booth, and a waitress spread menu's out before them. Her keen eyes scanned the rows of entrée's, her bottom lip pinned between her teeth. She furrowed her brows for a brief moment before closing her menu and setting it down upon the table.

They ordered and she looked at him for conversation. Yami struggled with a topic that Yugi would approach, but he guessed she had waited long enough, for she started one herself.

"What about this rain, eh?" She sighed and looked at the window. "I think rain is romantic, but we're due for a tsunami." She laughed, and he nodded. "Yugi, what's wrong with you?" He looked at her quickly. "Are you sick?" She leaned across the table, touching the back of her hand to his forehead.

"I'm sorry if I seem weird today, Té—Mai." She lifted a brow.

"Téa?" She returned in disbelief. "Téa?" She sighed. "Is that it, Yugi? Are you seeing Téa? Is that why you've been weird lately—why you're weird today?" Her eyes brimmed with tears, and Yami cursed himself. He wouldn't let his plan ruin Yugi and Mai's relationship. There wouldn't be any plan anyway if they broke up.

He took drastic actions. He got up and sat next to her on her side of the booth, smoothing back her hair.

"Mai, I'm so sorry. No. No, I'm not. I'd…I'd rather die." He looked into her eyes, and she looked back at him.

"But why? Why are you acting so weird? You're edgy, Yugi, and nervous around me. And your eyes always dart everywhere when I take you home. You won't even let me come in, barely. And when you do you shoo me out before I get close to your room."

Until then, Yami hadn't realized what _Yugi_ had been through. Keeping their secret had taken a toll on him as well, and Yami had been too caught up in his own sadness to realize it.

He had always thought Yugi was embarrassed, but he realized Yugi was protecting him. Never letting anyone realize the freak show that was happening. Protecting him from prying eyes who would…why had he been so foolish?

And _he_ was supposed to be an all powerful pharaoh?

It was time to fix Yugi and Mai, and further his plan in the process.

***

Yami and Mai spent the entire day together. They went wherever they felt like going, ate wherever they wanted, did whatever struck their fancy.

Now, when the moon was full above them, they strolled casually to the gameshop, ice-cream in hands, laughing and joking with each other. Yami's discomfort was long gone, replaced by a casual feeling, a comfortable feeling that made him talk freely.

They entered the gameshop and tossed their empty cups and spoons in the kitchen, and an idea struck Yami like a lightning bolt.

Grandpa was out of town for the week, and Yugi was due to stay out late with the guys.

It was a crazy, lunatic idea, but it was perfect.

"Come upstairs," He offered casually, and she looked to him. "Come on up." And she trotted up the stairs, both surprised and not that her footsteps followed his.

He entered his room and didn't bother to flick on the light, but turned to her expectantly, awaiting her inspection.

She looked around, noticing the little touches that showed Yugi's personality outwardly. The Duel Monsters touches, the old computer, the desk with several notebooks and a couple stray gaming magazines. Clothes neat and tidy, a near empty closet, simple shades on the windows.

"So this is where the King of Games lives?" She teased, looking around, and he smiled.

Silence followed that statement, and Yami made up his mind to go through with the plan in a split second and acted upon it.

He grasped her wrist and swung her around, lying her on the bed. She looked up at him, surprised and questioning before he kneeled over her, arms on each side of her form.

"Mai…" She raised a brow, and he could hear her breathing become shallow, darting in and out as she looked at him expectantly and yet wary.

He gave up being Yugi now. He knew it wouldn't work, knew he'd be more aggressive. Instead he did what came natural as he leaned closer, forgetting about everything except that he was in a dark room with a beautiful girl.

He pressed his lips to her and took in a deep breath, absorbing her aura, taking in the scent of her hair and her rich perfume. She reciprocated without hesitation, and soon he was lost in the moment, his fingers sliding through her hair, along her neck, shoulders, and arms.

He let his lips skim along her cheek to her jawline, taking it in before moving to her neck where they skimmed and left barely-there kisses before nibbling.

It had been far too long since he had kissed a girl, and he was almost tempted to admit that this was a mistake, that he was enjoying it too much. He darted from her lips to her neck, back and forth as he pleased and then, finally, he knew it had been a mistake.

***

Their lips parted and their eyes met. This wasn't the Yugi she was used too, and yet there was no hesitation, no question in her eyes.

"Mai." He breathed, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes, kissing her forehead with a kiss that was light and lingering. She sighed, looking at him, seeming to see him as someone who knew the very pit of his soul.

"That was it." She said, and he looked at her, confused. "That was why you never brought me up here. It was because you knew this would happen, wasn't it?" Yami, wise to not agree nor deny, simply looked at her. "You weren't ready." The tone held no question, but yet she asked one. Again, he neither agreed nor denied, but looked away in silence, and she brought herself up to sit on his lap.

She leant her head in the crook of his neck, her arms around his waist, and he could feel her heart beat against his own chest.

He resisted the urge to push her down and attack her with another barrage of kisses, and instead left one last one slow and soft.

"I have to go." She said after he pulled back, and he nodded in silence. "Goodbye, Yugi." That sentence hit him with a guilty feeling in his gut, and he said his goodbye's without thinking of his words before she left through the door.

She thought he was Yugi. She had never known he wasn't, he had never given her reason to believe it, and he had never told her. And yet he had made out with her. It was unfair of him, dishonorable, and he undressed into his pajama's mechanically, over and over thinking the same thoughts.

She was indescribable to him. He reveled in every aspect of her. He knew he was betraying Yugi. Yugi, who had always been so good, always loved Yami so much…always loved Mai. And now he was happy, with her, ecstatic that now they were together. And now Yami had betrayed him, had kissed her, had enjoyed every second of it…and who now knew he couldn't live without her.

He crawled into his own futon and pulled up the covers, but didn't fall asleep for a long time. Yugi came in, quietly so as not to wake him. And he changed and curled into bed without a word while Yami lied under his covers, too ashamed to even look at him.

Yugi quietly and sweetly said to Yami's assumed sleeping form, "Goodnight, Yami", thinking the pharaoh was asleep.

Yami had never felt so utterly revolting, so utterly despicable.


	11. A Song of the Moon

Greetings everyone! Well, here's another chapter on this gripping, dramatic story. Not really, but whatever. There are some cheesy translations, you've been warned. I'm going out of town about the 5th or so, so my goal is to update with at least one more chapter before then, as I'll be gone till about the 20th. So, um, yup. Sorry this chapter isn't very long, but I couldn't really add more to it. The last part is definitely a final piece, and the chapter needed to be cut off right there. Anywayz, enjoy!

(Yami's song, by the by, cheesy as it is, I made up, and to the tune of The Steward of Gondor. I know! Embarrassing, huh? Well, anywayz, it goes to the tune of that, the part where Pippin's singing, if that will help your reading experience any. :) )

The next morning Yami tried his best to avoid Yugi. He moved around in silence, not talking but the barest he needed to, and tried to get things done out of sight. 

He just couldn't look at Yugi. He just couldn't do it. Now that he thought about his actions, he realized how stupid they were. What was he thinking? At the time he found every way to justify himself, but now, when realization struck, he understood that that was the worst thing he could do.

The secret couldn't be kept. Mai would certainly mention something about them making out the night before…. And when she did Yugi would know exactly what had happened. How could he do such a thing to Yugi?

But Yami knew there was only one thing to do. No, the secret couldn't be kept, but the façade could. There was only one way to smooth it over now…that is, if it worked.

***

His hands slung lazily into his pockets, his shoulders hunched and lunging in turn against the pleasant breeze, his eyes smiled upon seeing her.

Mai stood in a floral sundress, her hands grasping a generously sized picnic basket, her blonde hair blowing around her face innocently, a flower barrette holding one side of her hair back just a bit.

She looked innocent and almost angelic, and he was reminded that in the past couple months her beauty had softened into something more natural, something simpler but not any less striking.

She turned to him and smiled, and Yami grinned in return. Her sandaled feet adjusted themselves towards him, and her smile seemed to sparkle in the sunlight.

"Hey there, stranger." It took him a moment to slip from himself to Yugi, but if she noticed anything amiss she didn't show it. "Ready for a picnic in the park?" Her brow rose, and his gut gave a pleasant lurch, a flash of the feeling of her warm lips against his sliding across his mind in reminiscence.

Those same brows he had seen rise and knot themselves during that recent night together, and he couldn't help the guilt that seemed to seep inside him. It should have been Yugi kissing her, touching her, basking in her every scent and her very soul, not him. It should be Yugi that was here with her now—to her knowledge he was—and Yami didn't look her in the face for a moment, feeling she would be able to read the entire scenario from his very expression. Her eyes would be able to withdraw it all from his own, he knew it. Knew it from experience of how well she could read ones mind, take out pages of their history, merely by meeting their gaze.

She swiftly spread out a blanket on the grass of a lightly descending hill, and cheerfully began taking out contents of the basket. She handed him glasses and soda to be poured while she dug out sandwiches and several picnic-usual dishes.

Later, the food having served its purpose, the couple leaned on their backs and watched the beautiful day unfold. Both were content with the silence, it not being awkward, and he heard Mai sigh and looked over to her.

"What are you thinking about?" It was something Yugi wouldn't have said, but she answered with a slight chuckle.

"In honesty?" He nodded, and she gave a lighthearted sigh. "I was thinking how farfetched this picture is than what I would have imagined six months ago. But it's a pleasant surprise, ne?" Her eyes seemed to twinkle, and a relaxed smile spread across Yami's lips without him noticing.

Mai gave Yami a soft, lingering kiss, her blonde hair brushing against his neck and cheek, and he resisted the urge to shove her down on the blanket and kiss her back. instead his mind won over his urge, and instead settled to let the kiss linger—just a bit.

She parted their lips and leant on his chest, pulling him down to lie on the blanket and snuggling into the crook of his arm.

Yami wondered how long he could keep up the façade without becoming attached to more than the make-out sessions…if he wasn't already.

***

Yami slowly stepped into the game shop, shutting the door quietly behind him, his jacket slung over his arm. He heard Yugi's small steps tap down the stairs and a happy grin spread across the boy's face when he saw the Pharaoh.

Yami returned a weak one of his own, without a word, and made his way upstairs, avoiding an exchange of conversation.

"Yami?" Yami, just at the top of the stairs, stopped, and slowly turned around. "Is everything OK?" His innocent, big eyes were round as saucers. Yami shook his head.

"I'm just not myself lately." He said lamely, and Yugi's face bore an expression of concern for a moment before clearing so as not to appear nosy or to bother him. "Oh, and Yugi," The King of Games looked at Yami expectantly. "Mai called earlier. She apologized, but said she's really busy and probably won't be able to hang out much this week. She's working on something—she felt really bad—but she said she'd call you when it was over." Yugi looked disappointed.

"Oh. OK. Thanks, Yami." Yami turned without another word and went into their bedroom, the feeling of being slime increasing with every breath he took.

***

Yugi wasn't doing well. Yami could see—and feel—the difference in the boy. They were connected, their spirits inseparable, and he could also feel a block. A block, keeping him from exact thoughts, glimpses of events and the like.

He didn't like this separation, but he knew he was the cause of it, and he could end it if he so desired. For two days Yugi had been overly quiet, overly dedicated to everything; his chores, Duel Monsters, and reorganizing the game shop—something he claimed demurely one morning that needed to be done, especially while his Grandpa was away for a while, checking out some things in Kyoto.

***

After another evening with Mai, Yami returned to the gameshop. Summer was ending—it was early august—and the musky air reminded him of Egypt when he shut the door behind him and scanned for a light.

There was none. Yugi must be out. Yami pushed back a pang of guilt—there was never a night spent with Mai that didn't involve kissing anymore—but he stifled it. This was something he had grown used to doing, and something that made him feel sick inside.

He trudged up the stairs and looked at the open window of the bathroom curiously. Yugi never left windows open when he went somewhere. He tossed his jacket in the bedroom and walked over to it, glancing outside, poking his head through the opening.

There was a ledge, to his left, that sloped upwards and into the roof. There were several scuffs on the little slope, like someone had walked upon it, and Yami lifted himself through the window and stepped onto the ledge.

He followed the slope that curved to the left, and lifted himself on to the roof. What he then found was what he was not expecting, and the King of Games didn't even look his way.

Yugi sat, arms encircling legs curled up to his body, his chin on his knees, and his wide violet eyes staring at the perfectly round moon.

Yami made his way over to him and sat down, still without a word, and Yugi made no move to signify that he knew Yami was there. But he did, Yami could sense it.

"It's so beautiful." Yugi said simply after a few moments, his big eyes still intent on the ghostly white orb. "I told Mai a story once. About the moon. I made it up, but it comforted her. She…she needed that story then." He blinked, and Yami saw a tear slide down the young ones cheek.

"She…she doesn't love me anymore, does she?" With a jolt Yami almost threw up he felt that sick. "Not like I love her." Yugi tightened his hold around his knees, his knuckles almost white.

He blinked more rapidly, his face scrunching a bit, tears sliding down his cheeks, and Yami threw his arms around Yugi who just as swiftly grasped onto the shirt of the Pharaoh sniffling into his chest.

"What did I do, Yami?" He asked, and Yami fought back tears of his own as his brows furrowed and the guilt was just too much to bear.

"_Azhimm, inkorj kamed_." He held onto him tighter. "_Azhimm_." He uttered in the ancient tongue that came to him quicker than English.

Soon Yugi's tears began to come more slowly, and the Pharaoh released his hold when he knew Yugi was ready.

"I'm sorry, Yami." He apologized, wiping at his tear-streaked face. Yami shook his head, unwilling to accept an apology, and Yugi took to his own seat again, still trying to clear his eyes and nose.

"I…just needed that." He smiled. "Just like Mai needed the story." Silence ensued for several moments before Yugi chose to speak again. Yami listened to his words intently.

"I always came up here—when I was little. I found it just after I moved in with Grandpa. It's always been my special place. I've always been able to think things through here, take comfort. I think it's because of the moon. It's always so pretty from here."

"It reminds me of the moon in Egypt. I always loved the moon as well. There was a special place for me, in the palace, that I would sneak to when no one was watching, and just look at it, and think. Just like you do here." Yami sighed.

__

"Inish nehab,

nehinor kinslad.

Te kindoh,

Te nehab inijo.

Yuk quena itik oleano.

Nehab.

Inish nehab…

Te nehab inijo."

Yugi turned to the Pharaoh, and Yami let out a breath reminiscently.

"A song of the moon. From my time, from my people." He gave Yugi a smile, but it was sad.

"You loved someone once, didn't you?" Yami, not expecting this question, turned to Yugi slowly, but said nothing. "I've heard you joke about her before…but you loved her, didn't you?" Yami sighed once again this evening; his mind turned to the past.

He didn't want to answer the young one's question, didn't know if he was ready to turn to the memory just yet…

"Yes."

"A servant." Yugi stated, and the other nodded. "She did your laundering, didn't she?" Yami nodded again, letting out another breath slowly. "With hair…"

"The color of ebony, skin like alabaster." Yugi looked to the Pharaoh in a new light. "She…yes. Yes, I did love her." Yugi saw the hurt that this statement had caused upon Yami's face, and he felt bad for bringing up the subject.

"Losing her…" Yami continued. "was the most painful thing that had ever happened to me." And with that the Pharaoh drew himself up, and left Yugi, going back through the bathroom window.

***

The "Egyptian" isn't unique—as if you even thought it might be. It's totally made up, by me. Here are the translations, though, for what Yami said and for the song.

Azhimm—nothing

Inkorj—little

Kamed—one

Song translation:

Beautiful moon,

Light divine.

Of wonder,

Moon of mystery.

Time and ages, still the same.

Moon.

Beautiful moon.

Moon of mystery.


	12. Dreary Rain, Truths, and Harsh Memories

Some thoughts:

Thanks again—as always—to DJ for all his help and support, especially through the rough times in this story. Thanks to all my readers, I love you guys! I was just in a thankful mood today as I finished up this chapter for some reason. It wouldn't have come so far without all the support it has received. And the great receiving it has experienced! I never thought I'd get so many reviews for a Yugi/Mai! I'm so glad that you guys enjoy this story. I really thought in the beginning that I'd be writing it for myself and myself only. +sigh+ I can only quote, "Life is what happens when you are making other plans". lol.

Yami hadn't slept at all that night. His utter revulsion with himself burned like a rash inside his chest, and he tossed and turned until sunrise, when his eyes were so tired that he had to close them. Still he did not sleep.

Yugi had crept into bed not much later after he had, but the boy had thought Yami asleep, and had tried his best to be quiet.

__

He deserves to step on me. Yami thought bitterly to himself, and then wished he would, hoping that maybe at least that would make Yami feel better about his crime. But he didn't step on him, and still Yami was shaking with the agony of undiscovered deceit.

When the clock, with its dull light, told Yami it was fifteen after six, he got up and dressed, knowing it was no use, there would be no rest for him.

He took to cleaning the kitchen, giving it a thorough scrub down. He organized the cabinets, cleaned the fridge, washed the cupboard doors…the work kept his mind off of reality.

When he was finished he trotted up the steps to take a shower and get himself clean from the dingy work. Yugi was still asleep. The shower felt good, though he still didn't feel clean, and when he emerged he knew the time had come.

It was nearly ten, Yugi still hadn't woken up, and Yami thanked Rah for that as he took the cordless phone and hid in the closet to make that so very important phone call he knew was inevitable from the beginning.

***

At half past twelve Yami waited impatiently, both dreading and anxious. The rain drizzled outside, the clouds rushing in faster than he thought possible, reminding him of once when—

He shook off his thoughts and cast his gaze to the menu that was scrawled across a beaten chalkboard above the marble slab that made a counter and bore a register.

The mocha espresso in front of him was growing cold and the foam on the surface began to creep to the edges of the paper cup. He didn't much care. He enjoyed coffee; it reminded him of a strong tea he used to drink in Egypt, but he wasn't in the mood.

It was cold outside, the warm brew seemed tempting, but now, after several sips, he imagined he would enjoy it more as an object to stare at than to drink.

There was the little ching-a-ling of the door's bell, and he snapped his eyes towards the newcomer.

Mai.

Her face when she saw him was cheerful enough, but the underlying lines of concern and even worry were present, and he sighed before giving her a nod in greeting.

She slid into the seat opposite him, her brows furrowed, and took her coat off, letting it drop into the waiting back of the chair. Her purse dropped as well, to the floor; still she looked at him questioningly.

"What's wrong?" She asked, and his eyes glanced somewhere else before looking her in the face. "When you called you made it sound urgent. Is something wrong? Is your grandpa OK—"

"No, it's nothing like that." He interrupted quietly, and she looked at him even more questioningly. "Mai…I need to talk to you."

***

Yugi glanced around the kitchen in search of Yami, but had no luck. He hadn't seen Yami since he had woken up about eleven, and now at three-thirty he was worried for the Pharaoh.

The answering machine flickered its red light, and he pressed his pointer finger to the play button and swiped a hand through his hair while he waited for a voice. His eyes darted here and there for any signs of Yami's whereabouts, and he jumped at the sound of Mai's voice.

__

"Yugi, I'm going to be just a few minutes later than three-fifteen. No more than ten, I swear. Sorry—hope you get this message. It's the ground bean, right? I love you…"

The machine clicked and went to a _beep-beep-beep_ before he turned it off, his mind a massive mess of confusion.

Yami.

It struck him like such a punch to his chest he felt himself sway for a brief moment before he shot like a light through the door, grasping his coat on the way.

__

What would Yami want with Mai? He asked himself as he trotted down to the bus stop. Hopefully it wasn't bad news. Hopefully... But he couldn't finish any thoughts, too confused for any ground of thought at all.

***

"A pharaoh?" She was too shocked to speak much more. Her mind was whizzing, twisting, turning. "But…"

"I know it sounds crazy, Mai. I know you probably don't believe it—" His espresso was gone, sipped too many times just out of habit while he was explaining everything to her.

"It's too strange to be true." She said quietly, and suddenly everything made sense. "There are two many questions I've had that are now answered. Too many things I've heard, felt, seen…"

"I'm sorry for everything." He said, feeling his excuse lame and below any level of apology she deserved.

"But, I—"

"I must leave." He grabbed his coat from behind him and made a move to go, but Mai grasped his wrist and tugged him to turn around. "There's nothing for me to say. Nothing more I _need_ to say. You should understand everything now." He took his arm from her and began to the door, the bell _ching-a-linging_ just as it had when she entered.

He shrugged on his coat and checked the street quickly before crossing, his hands in his pockets, his face being splattered with the rain that fell from angry black skies.

He heard, just barely, the sound of a bell, and turned around to see Mai crossing the street after him, neglecting her coat or her purse.

She chased him, her pink cardigan instantly soaked with rain, and when she caught up with Yami she threw herself into his arms.

"Yami!" And his name felt so comfortingly from her lips, and it sent a passion up his spine as he let his arms hold her. All wringing wet, blonde hair dripping of her. "I love you, Yami." She said, snuggling into his embrace. But he shook his head sadly before pushing her away.

"No, you don't, Mai. You think you do, but you really don't. You love Yugi. You have for some time. Quite a long time, I will say."

"But, Yami—"

"He loves you, Mai. Even more than I do. I watched the tears stream down his face when he thought that you were lost to him. I've seen the way you look at him. Please, Mai…" He tilted her chin up to him. "Be true to me, and to him. But more than anything, be true to yourself."

Her tears mixed with the rain as they spilled down her face, and she knew he was right. But the greatest confirmation was turning to see Yugi standing, across the street, just as wet as they were.

His innocent face, his wide eyes filled with pain and hope, the heat in her chest was like a furnace that warmed her whole body, and the assurance of Yami's words were complete.

Never did she love anyone before like she loved Yugi in that moment. Yugi, not Yami. And certainly more than Derek Heartenmine.

She felt embarrassed for her declaration moments before, felt foolish for thinking she could love anyone more than Yugi…still he stood there, the same expression present, waiting for something, but what he waited for he didn't know. For someone to say something to him, for someone to explain, maybe—for any kind of sign, in the sincerest truth.

It came when Mai crossed the street and approached him, and even in the rain he knew she was crying. His adorable face scrunched just barely, his eyes wide and wary, he watched her in silence.

Her shoulders shook in little sobs, and without a thought he took her in his arms, which only made her cry more. Over her shoulder he stole a glance at Yami on the other side of the street, and the Pharaoh looked down before drifting away out of his sight.

Yugi let out a long sigh against Mai, fighting tears of his own.

***

Yami was slouched against the wall, his legs before him as he sat on the floor. The rain pelted at the window, a dreary background to his equally dreary thoughts. He had considered running away, but with devastation he realized he had nowhere to run.

He felt literally sick, a kind of motion sickness that made him barely want to breathe, let alone do anything else.

And so, several hours later, with the sun gone down and the world a dark hell, he heard the front door open slowly.

A wave of nausea hit him so hard in the stomach he felt he would retch there on the spot and his arms shook as he covered his mouth with his hands.

He waited for what seemed an eternity, his thoughts racing and spinning—would Yugi never come to see him? Would he just ignore his presence? He half hoped he would, but a little while longer he waited and then he heard footsteps upon the creaky stairs that could use a good tune-up. If only any of the gameshop inhabitants had time…or even knew how to do it.

The doorknob turned, and Yami cursed himself that he had let his form stay pitifully there, in the middle of the wall, right out in the open. Could he not have slumped into a corner, out of the bedroom's light?

It may have seemed silly, this mighty pharaoh cringing from a mere youth. But he shied not from fear, but from shame. From embarrassment. From utter humiliation and regret for the things which he had hidden. For the things he had done. How dare he? And how dare he hide it? Think for even a moment it would stay hidden?

Yami's eyes were cast to the floor, and he could only see Yugi's sneaker-clad feet as they stopped right inside the doorframe. But they remained still for only a moment before they made their way to the bed, and the door shut closed behind them.

The springs in the mattress creaked and squeaked as he sat down in silence, and Yami's eyes darted up to Yugi for the smallest split of a second before they returned to the wooden floor.

The young King of Games held a purple plastic plate with a miserable looking peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the middle, looking like a sad excuse for a meal in the midst of a purple sea.

He had sat down a clear glass of milk on the night stand, and the contents swished around before creating a flat surface, a residue of milky clearness in wavy lines where the milk had sloshed higher up.

Curse the silence! Yami hated it. Loathed it. And yet he feared desperately the moment when someone would speak. It wouldn't be him…he didn't know what to say.

Yugi was eating, his wide eyes contemplating what should be said, what needed to be discussed, and still the pharaoh looked only at the floor.

"Yami…" He looked up at Yugi, who had eaten his sandwich into the shape of a circle, saw the youth strive for the right words. He thought of Mai looking at Yugi. Imagined the adoration she had for the King of Games. He thought of how many times she had looked at him with that adoration…but she had thought him Yugi. Not a liar, a deceiver, a betrayer.

When had it all come to this?

__

"Why? Why!?" The sounds of a woman sobbing. "My pharaoh…I beg of you…" The sobbing that nearly brought tears to his own eyes. Her body bent over on the alabaster ground, her dark hair spilling about her shoulder to drag on the stone. Her beautiful face streaked with tears, the knowledge of what he had done burned into her memory. Her shaking body and her moaning burned into his own memory forever, for eternity.

The scene flashed before his eyes as he looked at Yugi, he wanted to scream, to rip that day out of his mind forever. But Yugi was about to speak, and he listened with an intensity he didn't think possible.

"Yami, I forgive you." He seemed wary about those words, as if he almost didn't dare to say it. As if he feared the reaction Yami would give him, as if he was unsure whether the pharaoh wanted forgiveness or felt he needed to be forgiven of anything.

A single tear dropped from the lids of the boy's eye, and it was reflected in the eye of the pharaoh.

"How can you?" Yami asked simply, in sincerity. "After everything I've done. I began it all to help you, and yet I betrayed you. I hid from you my actions, lied to you—"

"It doesn't matter. I don't want to discuss it anymore. It's forgotten." The pharaoh shook his head in disbelief. "I know Mai loves me very much, and I know you're sorry. That's all that matters. Dwelling on it will only be self-pity, which I don't feel."

"She never loved me." Yami assured him after Yugi's words sunk in, their honesty almost harsh in its dismissal of further apology. "It was you she loved the entire time, and only for the briefest moment when I first told her did she believe otherwise. Never fear that she will betray you, Yugi—she never has. It has all been my sin, my fault that all this has occurred. Please don't change anything with her, don't punish her as if she has had any part in this—" Yugi nodded, cutting him off.

Both fell into silence.

"You didn't love her." Yugi finally said, and Yami looked at him in an expression to question his statement. "You thought you did, but you didn't love her even as you know you don't now. You love something else, Yami. _Someone_ else." Yugi turned the tables, voicing thoughts he had been thinking for quite a long time. "What is it that you have lost that eats away at you? I have seen the distant stares when you think of your past. I have caught glimpses of your memories enough to know you loved someone once. Very dearly, and needed her more then the air that you breathe."

No expression whatsoever crossed Yami's face, and Yugi sighed before continuing.

"There is nothing I can hide from you…" He continued. "And yet you hide everything from me." It was a hint at the unfairness of the situation, yet Yugi would never truly complain.

Yami began to sit up, a totally different air about him. Proud, arrogant, defensive…and yet he had been on the verge of tears just before. So repentant, apologetic, embarrassed.

"I have to go." He said brusquely, and Yugi jumped off his seat to follow him.

"Where are you going?" He asked desperately, following him out the door and down the hall.

"Does it matter?" He returned over his shoulder, and Yugi followed still, down the stairs and through the aisles of the shop. Yami stepped out into the rain without another word, and Yugi hung out of the door, watching him leave.

"What is it you hide, Yami!?" He called after him, but no reply came but the sound of the rain.


	13. New Birthday

Another chapter. Hope you enjoy! It's not the longest, but, well, anywayz. Be sure to read the bottom, kay? Kay.

Footsteps echoing down alabaster halls, rushing, running, hiding. Swishing black hair, fine, fair skin, fear set into dark eyes. Clacking, jingling jewelry, finest silk gown, wary brows.

Golden light flashing against murals, hieroglyphs adorning walls, stone statues of gods that are feared. The scent of the nile, the sand in the air, the great stone columns of a massive, powerful palace set above a proud, prospering city.

A gasp for air, tired legs, tight muscles. Fear reeking, jewelry shining, the doors are flung open.

There she stands. Pain, anger, fear, dispair…

"Pharaoh!" She falls to her knees, bowing, the emotion not able to be hidden in her voice.

The sun just barely peeks over the horizon, casting the barest glint of light against the pyramids.

With a rough gasp he awakes. He shudders.

***

Yami scrubbed at the dishes. He had taken to cleaning a lot lately. For some reason the cleaning eased his mind. Perhaps it was the lack thereof in his former life.

He hadn't slept well the previous night…not like he had lately anyway, but he was even more tired than usual. Because even when he had slept last night he hadn't rested. The dream was too bad.

He had come home late the previous night, and Yugi didn't address any more what he wanted so desperately to. Perhaps his try earlier that evening at getting Yami to open up failed so miserably he decided to give up completely.

Nevertheless, no matter what reason had kept questions from arising, Yami was grateful for the silence that no longer was painful, no longer nagged and bit at him.

He picked up a pan and the water within sloshed against his abdomen. He cursed under his breath. The only excuse for that mistake—that is, not even seeing the contents of the pan—was that he wasn't thinking straight anymore. It was the truth, and he'd prefer to deny it, even to himself.

Yugi was out with Mai at present. He had kept it quiet; his being with her, but Yami didn't care. Nothing was going to change, nothing should… and it was hit fault in the first place.

Yami had made breakfast—eggs with cheese and bacon, as Yugi, though kind, wasn't the biggest fan of Egyptian food—and sent him on his way, with the best of luck for a good afternoon.

He had then started cleaning the kitchen.

After that, he had turned to re-organizing much of the gameshop. He had all day, didn't he? And so he was sitting amidst the shop, cards stacked, piled, in boxes, rubber-banded, and sometimes just stacked themselves, around him, when Bakura walked in.

He had thought it would be the annoying kid again—will the King of Games think about selling his own Dark Magician? How thick was he?—but instead a silver-haired, jean-jacket wearing Bakura approached him.

"Yami?"

"No, Yugi." Bakura laughed. "He's not here right now, Ryou. Can I give him a message?" Bakura shrugged.

"I just came by to see him. Will he be gone all day? Never mind, it's not even important." But instead of leaving like Yami expected, the wealthy kid just sat down near the counter as if he wanted to talk to Yami now.

"What's it like?" Bakura asked after a few moments of staring at Yami. "I mean, you're…I've only been on Yugi's side." He then said, sounding less in awe. "I've been the host body…but what's it like to be a Yami?" Yami had to think of this for several moments, but it only took a split second to decide whether he was going to answer Bakura or not.

"It's hard." Was all he said at first. "I'm not the real person here, if that makes sense. I'm the re-incarnated soul who has a past life…but I can only remember certain aspects of it. I remember my life growing up mostly, my position as Pharaoh, most of my memories that involve that. I remember playing Duel Monsters back then, with the giant stone tablets, the awesome, terrifying power…but I've saved the world, apparently, and I remember nothing of that."

Bakura nodded, and for several moments they just looked at each other, as if by their very vision they could gain a greater understanding of the other.

"What is it like?" Yami now turned the question to Bakura, and he smiled while he formed his words.

"Scary." Yami lifted a brow, listening intently. "There's this other person inside you, and while you love that person, it's weird, scary. It's…consuming. They're always with you, always inside you. There's nothing you can hide, nothing is a secret, and they know everything about you, but you know nothing of them. And that's all you want, is to know what they feel, know about them…feel them as they feel you."

***

Yami had never truly realized the unfairness of the situation before. He had never really thought about it. They shared a body, it was weird, but they were both stuck with it. But it wasn't fair…one of the two received so much more.

Bakura had said, later in that conversation, that he could sense feelings, emotions, catch glimpses of memories…

Yugi had been desperate to understand his Yami. That was all he had wanted, needed, and Yami had shut him out. But Yugi couldn't shut Yami off. Ever.

And then he felt bad for Yugi. Yugi who had felt the pain, seen, caught glimpses of the memories…

He shut his eyes hard. He didn't want to think about it.

It was then that he heard the door open, and he closed the internet site he was looking at in anticipation.

Yugi's footsteps came into the computer room, and Yami's eyes locked onto Yugi's, and for once in his life understanding what it was like in his shoes, even in its smallest form.

"I'm sorry." Was all Yami said, and Yugi smiled faintly. "I can't imagine what it's like for you. Thank you so much for…for everything you've done for me, Yugi." Yugi sat down in a nearby chair, his messenger bag sliding off his shoulder and dropped softly to the floor.

"Hey, no problem, Yami." He smiled, but it was slow, nervous. "What…" He continued after a moment. "What made you think about this?"

"Bakura came over for you today. He…we talked about Yami's and their hosts. I got to see his perspective…I—he let me understand what it's like for you." Yugi nodded as if he was thinking of it. Thinking of what it was like.

"I feel for your pain, Yugi. Your frustration, your hurt…but I can't tell you what happened to me…who I—" He swallowed. "Who I loved. Not yet." Again the King of Games nodded, looking intently upon the Pharaoh. "But I promise when I'm ready that I will. You will be the first to know."

Yugi, his little boy innocence gleaming, his eyes happy, threw himself into Yami's arms, hugging him like there was no tomorrow.

"I love you, Yami." He said. "We were forced together like this…but I wouldn't change anything. Never." Yami gave Yugi a squeeze before they both pulled back.

And they looked a curious scene, both on the floor, talking face-to-face.

"I will just ask you one question, Yami." Yugi asked sincerely. "I've seen glimpses of her walking down hallways, or out by a river. What was her name, Yami? I've wanted so desperately to know ever since I first saw one of your memories of her."

Yami took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh.

"Sahirah." He breathed, despair in his eyes.

***

The days that followed were relaxed. Yami noticed that while Yugi and Mai should be spending a lot of time together due to the absence of their being together, Yugi was spending most of his days with Yami.

They were re-discovering each other. Learning things about each other through speech rather than assuming and catching glimpses of the others soul.

They discovered that they were good friends and enjoyed each other's company, not just because they had been forced together—literally—but because they actually did.

It was a good time for the both of them, and they settled into a routine of friendship that was sincere. They cared for each other, almost like brothers now, and both wouldn't ever complain.

***

Several weeks later, after receiving a message from Yugi to meet him at Pizza Pizzaz, Yami walked down the street in a district known as the food district. Titled after the fact that most of the teenagers around ate there, and that there were seemingly countless restaurants.

Pizza Pizzaz was just ahead, and he crossed the streets hurriedly, hands in his pockets, eyes darting here and there, taking in the traffic.

He pushed open the door and was pleasantly surprised to see the whole gang present. But then he noticed that Yugi, Mai, Bakura, Tristan, Téa, Joey, Duke, and even Seto Kaiba were standing under a massive _Happy Birthday, Yami!_ banner.

In a split second he recalled one of the long conversations between himself and Yugi, this one time where he—stupidly, whiningly—said he was sad he didn't know when his birthday even was.

"We thought today was as good as any!" Yugi cheered, but Yami was still looking around in amazement.

"So," Mai began, stepping into the front of the group. "we have officially declared the 18th as your birthday! Not to mention you were born at 8:52am." She grinned from ear-to-ear, and everyone cheered.

"We love you, Yami!" And she gave him a great big hug. "And now, since Joey's been whining for half an hour—let's get to the cake!" And she turned around and started slicing. Joey was the first to dive into a piece.

Yami pulled Yugi aside.

"Thank you." Was all he said, but Yugi grasped every meaning that was behind it.

As Yami watched everyone chow down on cake, as he received every present—everyone brought one—he had never felt so loved before. His previous life was nearly a void to him, and if there wasn't severe pain at some of the memories, he would imagine they were someone else's.

But the memories that counted were happening right now. Here at Pizza Pizazz, with his friends, with Yugi.

He had never been as happy as he was now. Not even ruling a powerful nation, not saving the world as he had come to know he had. No, he was happiest now, seeing his friends, Yugi, and watching Joey and Mai fight over if he could have yet another slice of cake or not.

****

The End

Thank you to everyone who's read the story! I hope you like it. I never thought a Yugi/Mai pairing would get such response! Even if there were some surprising twists. :) There's kind of a continuation to this story if you would care to call it that, that you're welcome to enjoy. (no pressure! hehe.) It's called Sahirah. I would hope that fans of this would enjoy that as well. The story id number is: 1772998. It's more of a romance/drama, but I hope ya'll will check it out. Anyway, again I hope you enjoyed this story very much, it's been great for me, something I've come to treasure. Hey, and leave me with some great ending reviews, eh? lol. Love to all of you, and if you have a beef, want to say hey, or want to comment at the last chapter, my IM is hopeofpandora138, and my emails on my profile page. Thanks again to all of you—muah!

- Acky


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